Balance: The Collision of Light and Dark
by ladyeiramae
Summary: After binding the Spiders' leader to his conditions, Kurapika felt assured that the Spiders had finally come to their end. He decided to live life anew until the Spiders stepped to the scene again to fulfill the fate of one unlikely pair.
1. Facing the Bandits

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Kurapika was captured by the Genei Ryodan two years after the York Shin incident. Now, Kuroro Lucifer used Kurapika's friends – Gon, Leorio and Killua to bring the Kuruta to submission.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

_**CHAPTER 1: Facing the Bandits**_

He was lost at thought for a few moments. This seemed to happen a lot more lately. Knowing all the possible consequences and weighing each one of them carefully, he had already memorized each and every step of the process. He had answers to every possible question and countermeasures for every possible event. He knew everything that has to be done when something else happens and had realized all possible substitutes for any mistake. In short he is very well planned, despite the incredibly short time that he was provided by fate to utilize and devise a strategy. He could never go wrong.

He could not afford to go wrong.

Not when his friends lives were at stake.

Not when his vow to those who had long been at an eternal rest should be bent at its slightest.

He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the last day he saw his family. They were happy one moment, the next came to spin in his head as blurred, crimson images. He remembered the smell of his surroundings that day – natural, somewhat grassy and floral at first then bloody and smoky at the afternoon. He recollected the sounds – forest sounds that range from birds to livestock which turned to blood-curling screams and shrieks of pain. He reminded himself of the sights – the terrible sights, of that day. In his mind he saw his kinsmen being shot, slashed, crushed, torn limb by limb, falling one by one. Then he felt a strong hand dragging him despite his resistance. After a moment, he felt that he was being pulled back to their house. After hearing his mother's words he was engulfed darkness. Waking up was the worst since he had to deal with seeing his tribesmen with their eyes gouged out.

His anger resurfaced.

That memory refueled the flames of his vengeance. After the recollection, though very tired because of his sleeplessness and his job, he felt as if his energy was renewed. He noticed his senses becoming keener by the second and his chains rattling with impatience.

He knew that right now that his eyes were redder than ever. And he felt glad that he had enough hatred to continue upon his plan. He felt somewhat confident that his anger was enough to drown all of his fears and strengthen him, giving him more chance to succeed. Although he still cannot assure himself that his confidence should be enough, but he deeply hoped that it is.

He calmed himself a little as he made his way to the hotel where everything should happen. He could not help but utter, again and again, the oath that he had given six years ago to the graves of his fallen kinsfolk. And with the oath, he prayed, almost ceaselessly, from the moment that he had given his final instructions to his friends about the plan up to now.

He realized just now, as he got nearer to the vicinity that his confidence could not reach his desirable level.

'_Relax_,' his rationality told him so.

He looked very calm, on the outside at least. But his insides were knotting themselves to each other and squeezing almost every hint of confidence he got. After all, this might be his one and only chance. He should not lay it to waste. He had been waiting for this for six years – six long years of being alone, grieving, vengeful.

He loosened a button of the disguise he is wearing and fitted the shoes better. The fact that it belongs to a female would have made him swore not to touch nor to wear it even beyond his death at any other day but now is not the time for such excuses. If he had to wear no skin at all just to perfect this plan, he might have done so.

He stopped for a moment since he was sure that he still has a few minutes to spare. He used those minutes to breathe deeply and compose himself. He closed his eyes and forced them to return to their normal cerulean color. Then he thought of his friends and the time that he can spend with them after this event. Sure enough, in a few seconds, he felt himself smiling. He knew that his whole entity calmed down significantly – just enough to think clearly but still flaming with enough anger to keep his aura at a high level.

'_Good, now you can resume to the plan,_' he told himself.

His cue came. The stage is on. He cannot turn back anymore.

He prepared his chains to do justice.

He left the leader on a deserted place – some secluded area where he thought that the Head cannot harm anyone else. He had assured himself, again, at least a million times, that now he may live free from the claws of revenge. Free from the weight of his vow and the guilt he felt for taking out two limbs from the Spiders.

'_Without the head, the Spider dies_.'

That is what he believed.

How very wrong he was.

He only realized that when he faced the leader again. This time he had no cards at hand. This time his life is under the leader's mercy – his and his friends' for this matter.

He would have killed himself over and over again for the slight error that he had committed which led to all of these. He should have been more careful with his actions. He should not have laid his guard down.

Now he and his friends are paying for it.

And his hatred was restored.

He regained consciousness as soon as he reached the interior of a ruined building. His eyes opened wide as soon as he realized the situation. However, before he could react, the man carrying him had already thrown him hard to the ground. It must be because of great shock that he did not feel much pain but he knew that there must be some damage in his body when he could not stand as soon as he wanted.

"Keep still!" a woman with blue hair tied in a ponytail was first to remark as soon as he and the leader arrived. He could see her fingers twitch a little to reveal a thin bluish thread around them. She glared a warning at him before turning her gaze back to the leader. Everyone else in the area surrounded themselves with enormous amount of deadly aura. All of them stared tensely at him, as if warning him not to make a single move: as if preparing to attack and kill him as soon as the order had been released. However, they remained on their positions, auras lashing threateningly around them.

"Bind him," the leader ordered instantly even before he could regain balance from being thrown to the ground.

The woman did so without another word and in less than a second, he felt himself bound by the threads of Nen that he had seen earlier.

'_What the-?_' he thought, feeling the threads around his body instantly immobilizing him.

"Where are his friends?" the leader inquired as he walked to one end of the hall and left the bound Kuruta on another.

A small man whose lower part of the face was covered, replied in a very menacing manner, "Nobunaga, Shizuku and Franklin are taking really good care at them Danchou, do not worry." This one eyed him with such evil that it sent him shivering for a moment.

His eyes widened and he glared at the small man as angrily as his facial muscles can handle.

"I hope you had not hurt any of them, had you Feitan?" the leader asked, his dark eyes narrowed a bit as the question ended.

The leader got a very short and nasty laugh as a reply.

His heart sank. He can feel the fist-sized organ furiously pumping blood in his chest. The beats were so loud and so deep they hurt. Anger overflowed from the small organ all throughout his body, seeping in his veins, fueling the act of vengeance he had forgotten long ago.

He struggled hard within the relatively tight grip of the threads and decided to die fighting than die there without doing anything. His muscles tensed and he felt the threads grip tighter at his neck.

The woman gave him a blazing glare that simply said, "Don't you dare!"

The look would not have been enough to stop him, but his more hopeful side kicked him not to push his luck. He simply returned the look before cursing himself for failing to do more.

"Are they still alive?" the leader asked again, now taking a quick emotionless look at him before finishing the question.

Surprisingly, he felt that the leader somehow wished that they still are.

"Yes, yes, Danchou," the small man replied with a rather disappointed voice. "After all, I was not ordered to kill them, even though it would have been a lot of fun."

He tore away his gaze from the leader to the small man. He could have jumped with glee at the first word, but he knew that there must always be something lurking behind it – torture perhaps. His assumption was clarified by the second statement and the vileness incorporated in the small man's voice. Then he swore that the moment he is free, that man will be the first one to feel his wrath.

"Shalnark, take the captives here," the leader then ordered the brown-haired man beside him.

"Right away!" the other replied, his voice full of childlike exuberance, as if he was simply ordered to do something incredibly mundane, like walk the dog or get the morning paper.

He resumed glaring at the small man – who glared back as well, until a noise made him turn to the direction where the brown-haired Ryodan disappeared to. After a few moments, the Ryodan member emerged, with his friends and their captors.

Gon came out first, followed by a girl wearing glasses and holding what seems to be a living, red, vacuum cleaner. Kurapika felt that the vacuum cleaner would not try to eat Gon alive though, he deeply felt that the girl plans to hit Gon with it if need be. He was still suspicious of the vacuum cleaner until he was cut off his thoughts with a loud juvenile voice.

"Kurapika!" the boy called, his feet turning to him, at the verge of dashing to his side any moment now.

His eyes widened for a moment of surprise then narrowed again. He nearly rushed to the source of the voice if he had not been bound because he sensed panic, fear and deep worry in it. But right now, in his helplessness, he could not do anything but look back at the boy and shake his head. He knew that if Gon tries to reach him, the other silent but alert Ryodan will surely shred the spiky-haired kid to pieces.

Gon seemed to decode the message and simply sighed and nodded back to him. Then he yielded as the girl pushed him forward.

However, just a few paces behind Gon, the samurai who follows Killua nearly burst out to flames at the mention of his name. Killua on the other hand seemed silent, but he did notice that the boy's face lit up a little at the sight of him. They quickly exchanged looks that simply said, '_I'm OK, don't worry_'. And afterwards, just like Gon, Killua stared at him, calm and wordless. He thanked God that Killua showed no attempt to rush to him because the samurai behind the boy looks grumpy enough to kill without question.

"Kura-! W-what are you doing here?" the oldest one, Leorio, blurted out after he was slightly pushed by the giant behind him.

'_Leorio…_' he frowned with sorrow, worry and pity. '_They managed to track you down too._'

He felt his fists clenching tightly behind him. Ages ago he was certain that even if the Spiders could track the younger boys, they will never get their hands on the normal-living Leorio. He knew that being active with their Hunter lives, Gon and Killua could be found easily – judging by the amount of information available about active Hunters. However, Leorio, who was the one living a normal life as a medical student, the one who was doing nothing to attract any attention, the person who barely uses his Nen ability that it barely registers in a Nen-user's built-in radar… He could not believe that the Spiders will be eager enough to destroy him – the Chain-Guy, that they even extended their efforts to the usually peaceful world of non-Nen-users.

Again, Kurapika shook his head to stop the giant from breaking Leorio's neck then and there. Fortunately, Leorio was able to understand the gesture and though still gaping at him with disbelief, the older man simply sighed and resigned.

Kurapika secretly thanked Leorio for being so understanding of the critical situation.

The captives were pushed to the center of the huge area. Their guards behind them, but it was not so soon when the samurai decided to switch places with the silent small guy nearest to him. But instead of taking the samurai's place as Killua's guard, little guy guarded Leorio and the giant got hold of Killua. The samurai, on the other hand, walked towards him, as near as the leader allowed the man. Shortly, the samurai's sword was unsheathed.

'_How very hospitable…_' he restrained himself from uttering the sarcasm then concentrated on breaking the Nen threads instead as he inspected his friends for injuries from afar.

Kurapika was silently rejoicing that his friends were alive but he felt much worry at the same time because all three of them seemed to be covered with light injuries. They do not seem to be very hurt, at least, although he strongly felt that they might have been tortured in some way or the other by their captors.

'_Once my hands are free I'll tear every one of you apart!_'

The leader turned towards him and smiled. Kurapika flinched when he saw that because the smile looked so… genuine. He shook himself, literally, to rid himself of such thoughts. Moments later, the leader was still smiling at him and he could not take it anymore.

Kurapika dearly wished that he could crush that head right now.

"In case you haven't noticed, you do not have any choice but to obey everything I say," the leader started, his smile was not fading.

It was very difficult to just try and roll helplessly about as the leader smiled at him like a little boy would at a newly bought toy. He certainly could not do anything right now – even without the Nen threads, as he will never do anything to endanger his friends in any way. So he simply gritted his teeth and wished that he may find a way to plead his friends out of this mess.

"Choose one of them," the leader ordered at him.

Kurapika would have lunged at him now if only he had the ability to do so. He hated being toyed at, and would never hate it worse than being toyed by his most loathed creature in the entire universe. But he also knew very well that such actions will only lead to their – his and his friends', deaths. He instantly discarded the thought of doing something to annoy their captors and focused on calming himself and struggling out of the Nen threads.

"Why?" came as his reply, accompanied by a few deep breaths which resulted from his fruitless struggle at being bound. He deeply planned to curse the leader afterwards but his more rational side had fortunately won inside his head and instead of hastening their lives at the seemingly hopeless condition, he somewhat hoped for a little pity – not for him but for the sake of his friends.

"How dare you question-," the samurai shouted just a few feet on his right. But he was stopped at midsentence by the leader. He gritted his teeth in reply.

"Because I would want to offer you a chance to live," the leader replied straightforwardly.

**A/N:** I just came up with this story because I really, really, really love KuroKura fics. Furthermore, it is my goal to fuel the flames of the Hunter X Hunter fandom and to keep those flames burning. To those who may ask, YES, this story IS inspired by most KuroKura fanfics in this site. Reviews, comments, suggestions, violent reactions, flames, thunderbolts, throwing and hurling of lethal weapons and the like, are all very much appreciated.

Also, please be reminded that this is the edited version. NOTHING IN THE STORY-LINE HAD BEEN CHANGED as that may cause a lot of confusion on my part since the story had already been written and there is only the need of filling it with details. So, I only edited the punctuation marks, spellings and other typos. Thank you.


	2. Letting Go

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Kurapika mused over some memories he and his friends shared – the one when he decided to let go and forget about his revenge to the Genei Ryodan since he believed that their leader's absence will definitely immobilize or even destroy their gang.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

_**CHAPTER 2: Letting Go**_

It was a very ordinary morning. The heaven was cloudless and the wind was soft. There was no sign that last night's storm was so fierce, the roofs of their hotel could have given up and flown away on its own any second. But fortunately, it withstood the tempest and held tight to the building, much to the relief of the building's inhabitants.

The hotel was nowhere near fancy or expensive, and at the same time, it was not ruined or old either. It is just a simple hotel that anyone from the lower to the middle class in the social and economic hierarchy can easily check in to. It is not the usual hotel that would entice Hunters to check in, but given the terrible storm of last night, even the filthy rich will concede to his pride and get a room here. That is also because this building is the only one of its kind for at least a fifty mile radius.

The building seemed perfectly peaceful. It is early in the morning and some of the occupants were still fast asleep, but a greater number can be seen checking out already; heading out to their original paths and continuing with their travels after being rudely interrupted by last night's tempest. There are a few of them, however, that decided to stay in the hotel for a few more days – probably to experience the culture and all, or like the young Hunters in one particular room, just too lazy to get out and haste off to their destinations at such an early time.

On the third floor, the farthest room from the elevator, the one occupied by Hunters, a loud scream erupted.

"GET THAT DISGUSTING THING AWAY FROM ME!" a silver-haired boy shouted, half-angry, half-scared.

"Relax Killua!" replied the tallest and the oldest of the four. His voice was cracking and obviously hiding some kind of delight. "It's just a little worm."

"It's a caterpillar," the blond one corrected, receiving two pairs of rolling eyes as a reply. Only a single pair was left not to react at the remark since it was too busy staring pitifully at the caterpillar.

The youngest one, with black and spiky hair, was now holding the controversial creature which was wriggling with all its might to escape. He looked at it as if it would be begging for its life anytime soon so the boy, eyes filled with pity, decided to let it go. "Killua, this worm-"

"Caterpillar…" the blond corrected again.

"Er, caterpillar…" the young boy continued, "… is harmless." The boy walked towards the other end of the room and opened the nearest window. After a few moments, he gently laid his open palms outside, giving the caterpillar another shot at life. "Off you go buddy…" the boy murmured.

As soon as the caterpillar was out of his line of sight, the silver-haired boy, who let out the first annoyingly high-pitched sound of the morning, closed his eyes and relaxed his mind. It took a few moments of awkward silence for all four boys to digest what had really happened. The first one to comment was the youngest one – with spiky black hair and chocolate-brown eyes.

"You don't have to scream so loud Killua," he said disapprovingly. The boy's eyebrows were a little knotted and his lips almost in a pout. "There's nothing scary about the little thing to start with anyway," he continued before adding in almost a murmur, "And you could have woken up the whole town."

"It looks DISGUSTING!" the silver-haired boy replied with contempt, disgust and another scream. It was obvious that he could have spelled out every single letter of the word if only it would help his friend to understand what he really meant, but as he knew very well that the same friend of his will never be 'disgusted', he let the statement as is. He was still cowering against a wall, as if the caterpillar was some gigantic monster that will rip him to pieces at any given moment. "Go clean your hands Gon!" he added as he grabbed a hand sanitizer beside him and threw it to the youngest boy who set the creature free.

"It is pointless to kill it anyway," the young boy said. He made sure that the caterpillar was safely outside before closing the window and then opening the sanitizer that had just zoomed from across the room to his direction. "And it's mean to hurt harmless little creatures," he said as he spread a small amount to the palm that held the caterpillar. He was still sighing as he rubbed his hands together.

"Killua, of all the people!" the tallest man exclaimed. His hands were clasped rather nastily in front of him, as if he just found a treasure chest full of gold and eyeing it greedily. "I thought you would be the one to be more tolerant with little crawling invertebrates."

"He hates such things," the youngest boy sighed as he threw the sanitizer back.

"Who wouldn't?" the silver-haired boy, which seemed to be still terrified, replied, embracing himself as if he felt cold after receiving the sanitizer and putting it back to the shelf.

"You have seen more horrible things and you're terrified with a worm… I mean caterpillar?" the tallest man mentioned, his eyes flicked to the blond who was about to comment again about the misuse of terms 'worm' and 'caterpillar' and savoring the single moment when he caught the blonde with his mouth half open, ready to criticize his word-choice like some professional proofreader. The man was still laughing hard in his thoughts and trying even harder not to show it for real. However, he did not manage the slip of a few words, "And to say that you're once a killer…"

The silver-haired boy just snapped then and there, and started to chase the oldest, a bit red with embarrassment. "Fine! I'll kill YOU instead!" he said, readying himself to pounce while putting emphasis on the word '_you_'.

Fortunately, the man felt this coming and had started to run as soon as the first syllable of the last word had been uttered. Soon enough, the two were tumbling and wrestling around, turning furniture and nearly breaking a few inexpensive vases. The youngest boy found this hopeless and decided to quit from restraining them. It looks pretty entertaining after all. After a few seconds, he joined the chase although he was still unsure on which side he was on.

'_It will be a long day,_' the blonde thought, smiling while effectively evading the dust cloud formed by the fruitless fight of the three boys who sped towards him. After a few more moments, he was unable to restrain it anymore, so he laughed.

He stared back at the window, seeing the little caterpillar crawl as fast as it can; which is still terribly slow, away from their sight. Eyes still watery, the blond thought of the last time he genuinely laughed like that.

It felt like centuries since he had a relatively acceptable reason to laugh or even smile genuinely.

Six years ago, he would certainly pass as a normal kid, happily running around playing tag with other kids his age every day after training. Every noon, he would be called by his mother, by his mother's sweet voice, to eat lunch together with his father and other family members. By the afternoon, he will return to his playmates until the skies darken. And as the heavens glow red, orange, pink, purple, or a deeper blue, he would run home to his family – to eat dinner and spend the remaining hours telling them what happened all day. Before bedtime, his mother and father will sit beside his bed, read him a few stories then kiss him before his mother sings him to sleep. Everything and everyone is happy and contented. He wished nothing more from his life.

Then one day, all of those were taken away from him.

One day, he was hastily shut by his mother to a cellar and then left there, with no other words but "You must survive, Kurapika!"

He would have argued with her back then. He would have asked questions which exploded in his head like fireworks as soon as he heard the first scream from a distance. But the urgency of the situation had given her soft mother strength when he was carelessly and hastily thrown and locked in a cellar.

He could hear terrible things there too. The screams and wails of pain of his kin were too loud that it had penetrated the thick walls and the huge slab of wooden door of the cellar. He could hear the cracking and crushing of bones, the tearing and slashing of flesh, the loud squirting and spilling of blood. He knew people are dying. HIS people are dying. And he wanted to help them in whatever way he can. He wanted nothing more but to rush to their side, to understand the pain and suffering and to fight if ever they were attacked. He wanted to know, desperately, what is happening. He wanted to save his family and friends and everyone in his village. And if he cannot, he wanted to die with them – with honor, instead of being locked up in this dark place while Death mercilessly plucks his villagers one by one.

He scratched, punched, kicked the cellar's door as much as he can, until his fingers were badly wounded, his knuckles bloodied and his legs terribly bruised. He never stopped until he heard the most terrible, the most unforgettable scream in his life.

His mother's.

"NO!" he shouted, but his voice was muted by the thickness of the walls and the sturdiness of the door.

His strength was renewed and his determination was restored. He must get out of that place to know what is wrong.

He kept on struggling to get out until his consciousness left him. As he regained it, however, the silence was already overwhelming. This alarmed him even more that he devoted every ounce of force that his small body can muster to that one final blow.

The door finally gave way and he got out rolling on the floor with the force he exerted. Again, with his weariness winning against him, he passed out.

What he had seen after he woke up was responsible for all the nightmares he had been going through all his life. And the only clue that was left for him to start on his quest for vengeance escaped from the lips of his beloved dying father.

"Genei Ryodan…"

After burying his tribe's dead, he embarked on a quest to find and punish the Genei Ryodan. His hatred, grief, and vow of vengeance lead him to the Hunter Exam where he met his new friends, Gon, Killua and Leorio. They were now the only ones who had made him laugh again – the only ones who can momentarily relieve him of all his pain…

Soon enough, after tiring from the chase, Leorio had noticed him daydreaming again. The older man placed a comforting arm around his shoulder and said, with an incredibly caring and tender voice he knew only the man beside him was capable of, "You can let go now Kurapika."

And he did.

He started to let go and start his life anew.

Days later, after the idea struck him, he had gone searching for his Nen Master. He knew that he owed the older man an apology – for being such a stubborn student and all, and he planned to repay him for tolerating such actions. However, after the mushy reunion of teacher and student, he should confess his need. Of course, he felt guilty about it. He could not help but think of what his Master will say after Kurapika tells him that he needed the older man to do something important for him. He thought of his Master feeling tricked or manipulated, but anyway, a need is a need. He decided, therefore, to meet his Master and treat him out to wherever and get on with this 'need'.

During the two's 'small reunion' Kurapika treated the older man out to a first-class hot spring hotel-restaurant and all. He knew that the older man will appreciate it more than a dinner at a fancy restaurant and he believed that there is no way that his Master can refuse if he pleaded to him with puppy-eyes and the hot spring steam as the background.

After dinner, the two chatted comically while they relaxed in one of the largest steaming pool of the spring. Kurapika decided to speak of the matter, right away. "Master…"

The teacher was a not a bit surprised. He knew that tone. Sure, he felt the sincerity of Kurapika's apology earlier that evening and he also knew that the gratitude in his voice was not a lie, but Kurapika is simply too proud to express such emotions thus making him conclude that his student will only show them if in dire need. He just hoped that Kurapika is not wishing to chase the reportedly disbanded Genei Ryodan.

He drowned all of his suspicions in the warm water and answered, as innocently as he could, "Yes Kurapika?"

"I was thinking about my chains…"

'_I thought so_,' the Master could have replied. His suspicions seemed to be confirmed. He closed his eyes and was about to scold the blond when the boy continued on what he was saying.

"I was… am… wondering about the effects if I change the Restriction and the Pledge of my chains."

He was shocked. He actually did not expect that from the boy, that when he heard it, his jaws nearly dropped and totally separate from the rest of his face. He could not help but stare at his student, open-mouthed, right now. But in a few moments, he was able to absorb the message and he composed himself.

"Are you wondering if it is possible?" he finally managed to say.

"Is it not?"

"Actually, it is."

"Then how?"

He exhaled deeply and closed his eyes again. He did not think that this day will ever come because his student, just years ago, was so eager to rid the world of all Spiders – Genei Ryodan or not. He thought for a little, wondering how he can explain to the boy the gravity of the situation. After a brief silence, he found the right words and spoke, "If the 'thing' that gave you a reason to make the Restriction and the Pledge had disappeared or lost its effect already, then yes."

Kurapika stared at him, confusion was written across his face in bright neon colors.

Again, he sighed and then asked, "What pushed you to make that Restriction and that Pledge to strengthen your chains Kurapika?"

The boy seemed to finally understand it and replied with almost a whisper, "Vengeance…"

He pushed further. "What fuels your vengeance?"

Kurapika bowed his head until his eyes were hidden beneath the golden strands of his hair. "Hatred," he replied.

"If your hatred had gone and left you already or if you believed that it had already served its purpose, then yes, you can change your Restriction and Pledge. You can lift your own Nen right? But you cannot change the materialized chains because you had already chosen the chains as the materialization of your Nen. So what we can only do is lift your Nen from your own heart, but just enough to change your Restriction and Pledge, so as not to meddle with what your chains can already do. After that, we will create new conditions."

Kurapika listened carefully at his Master's explanation. His eyes were glowing brightly with glee. '_Finally, genuine freedom…_' he thought.

He did change the Restriction and Pledge afterwards, with the help of his Master, of course. He knew that he does not hate anymore. He knew that after successfully disbanding the Genei Ryodan, he had no more reason to live in vengeance since he believed that justice had already been served. After all, obtaining the eyes of his kin is a duty that never required hate to be performed. Not to mention that he is already tired of his anger and his hate towards the Spiders. He knew that his people are satisfied now that the Genei Ryodan had already been crippled beyond repair at the lost of their leader.

To fulfill the second part of his vow, he would need his weapon, which unfortunately, is mainly to be used for the Spiders. With them 'technically' gone, he saw that his chains are also, 'technically' useless. What would be the use of his chain now that the ones he made them for are 'technically gone' – since the disbandment of the Genei Ryodan meant almost similarly as the whole Genei Ryodan dying. Of course, once they are out of the group, the Spiders are not Spiders anymore. Therefore, since his chains are to be used only for the Spiders, without them, his chains are, well obviously, useless.

After changing the Restriction and the Pledge to suit his current need, he thanked his Master and they parted ways. The older man felt quite happy about his student's decision to go lighter to himself, although after fixing the chains, he knew that Kurapika's current ability will dive a little.

'_That is for him to get used to_,' he thought as he watched the blond walking away. '_He is still full of boundless potential. If he learns to control his abilities right, he could be a whole lot better than he was when he was still consumed by his vengeance. I am glad that at least he is happier now._'

So Kurapika went to look for his clan's eyes, equipped with the same chains, with lighter conditions and equally lighter abilities. He knew about that, of course, because his Master had warned him about it. But he could not care less. He was confident that the Genei Ryodan was a long forgotten issue and all he should do now is fulfill the task of locating all the pairs of the scarlet eyeballs.

That is when the things got to a horrible mess.

Now, he is trapped. His body is bound by powerful Nen threads and his friends surrounded by bloodthirsty killers. In front of him, the worst of them all, the head of the Spiders, was smiling at him mockingly.

**A/N:** OK… So I've posted this Chapter as soon as I was done with the first one. This contains flashbacks and a few key explanations for the next Chapters. I genuinely believe that it is important to understand this chapter first, if you wish to enjoy the next ones in their full potential.


	3. Checkmate

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Hatred and desperation had finally crept all throughout Kurapika's system and he made a final, desperate act to defeat the Spiders' leader.

**WARNINGS:** This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**A/N:** [Important] This fic happened eight years after the massacre. Let's just say that Kurapika took the Hunter exam a bit more than five years after the massacre, then the York Shin incident happened six months later, making it "roughly" almost six years. Then two years later, this fic took place. So it's almost eight years later after the massacre. OK? This is to clarify the confusion in the timeline. Also, to give enough space for the whole Greed Island Arc to squeeze into but ignoring a few others and giving an extra time for the four friends to get along better.

_**CHAPTER 3: Checkmate**_

'_Choose?_' Kurapika thought bitterly, his eyes widened and reddened a deadly crimson with his thoughts. '_He wants me to kill my own friends!_'

He had long forgotten about his hatred towards the Genei Ryodan. After he left their leader on that barren wasteland, Kurapika became certain that the Spiders will finally be disbanded. He was sure of it. Without Kuroro Lucifer, the Spider's leader, the Genei Ryodan is a headless arachnid – just breathing its last few breaths.

'_Choose who?_' he thought wildly. '_The strongest? The kindest? The closest to me?_'

Kuroro could see the anger filling the blond boy just a few meters in front of him right now. He would have been irritated with the sight given any other time because he seemed to have seen every form of hatred possible that he had quite gotten bored at all of it. But now, right at this very moment, he feels a sudden chill when he stares at those blood-red orbs; a chill of excitement, even amusement perhaps.

'_It seems that you are more a threat than all of the past avengers that came running after me, little Kuruta_,' Kuroro thought, his smile not fading but if one observed closely, getting a bit wider.

Kurapika bowed his head a little, his soft blond hair falling just over his eyes. He just cannot take it anymore. His whole body shook with anger. This is too much for him. The Spiders had taken away his tribe, had gouged their eyes out to be sold as great treasures, and had given him so much grief and pain that even in his subconscious mind they are there, torturing him. And now, they wanted him to cause the death of his friends.

"Kuruta," the cold yet amazingly tender voice of Kuroro spoke again. "I am asking you to choose."

Kurapika was shaken away from his thoughts by that voice. The first word that escaped from the man's lips bombarded him with the images that usually lurk only in his most horrible nightmares. He was reminded, painfully, of the dead bodies he buried eight years ago. He clenched his fists harder making his nails dig hard enough for his palms to bleed. He felt his eyes glow redder and his mind went blank for a moment.

Much to everyone's surprise, the Kuruta had somehow gotten free of the Nen threads. His sudden burst of Nen and anger had momentarily filled the entire hall. Even the leader, who could have swore that he had considered everything that this thin blonde boy in front of him can do, was surprised.

'_Without the head, the Spider dies._'

"DIE!" Kurapika exclaimed as he prepared to lunge towards the leader, his right fist and his chains all ready to strike. His eyes were glowing horribly red against his pale skin. His anger was almost solid it nearly took a form of its own. His power and determination prepared to crush anything or anyone on his path.

'_This should be the end._'

"I swear by your graves, mother, father, and the rest of our tribe, I will hunt down Genei Ryodan and retrieve all of our tribe's eyes." Kurapika heard his voice, his young voice from eight years ago, when he vowed on the foot of his parents' graves.

'_I will not fail you dear ancestors._'

He focused his Nen on this final attack. He knew he will not miss. And nothing can stop him.

'_This is the end already anyway. Nothing else matters anymore._'

The leader realized that the Chain-Guy was now leaping to attack him. It had been so sudden and he did not expect it. He believed that the assassin would never do anything that may hurt his friends, but again, he concluded that sheer hatred can drive anything.

'_You're amazingly fast my little Kuruta,_' he thought, as he prepared his counterattack, posing in a crouched position.

From the corner of his eyes he saw Nobunaga – the samurai, about to behead the nearest boy his sword could reach and just awaiting his signal. He still had the time to glare a bold, 'NO' at the samurai – who fortunately understood and retracted his katana, before staring back at the currently airborne Kurapika.

For a split second with Gyo, he saw the Kuruta's Nen concentrated on his chains and on his eyes. Those blood red eyes. He never lost his liking for them but he had gotten bored by staring at them floating inside drug-filled glass containers. Months after he had obtained them, he sold every pair to the black market, wishing that he should have left at least one Kuruta alive. He realized that the eyes would look better if it is part of a living and responding entity, a beautiful one perhaps, so that the color would not be frozen to red but change according to the emotions. That would have been more enticing to look at, instead of preserved eyeballs freakily floating in glass or crystal cylinders.

Then he turned to appreciate the most beautiful pair of crimson eyes in front of him. He thought about it for a moment then decided to go back to the original plan. After all, ridding the world with their worst enemy and making a profit out of it would sound better for the Genei Ryodan. Tonight's events will only rekindle the fire of hatred inside the Kuruta's heart and if ever he decided to keep the Kuruta for himself, the Spiders will be forever in danger of the boy's wrath. He also thought of just killing the boy and preserving that beautiful head – eyes and all, but then again, he cannot find anyone who will pay any better for a living Kuruta.

He felt confused at the moment but realizing that the blond was serious about his attack, Kuroro decided to settle back to the present.

The leader smiled at the sudden show of powerful Nen that the chain wielder is presenting in front of him. He had not met anyone as powerful or as angry before and adding the two, he knew that this attack might be the one of the strongest that he will receive. And he will gladly test its aptitude.

Kuroro lunged forward too, shocking everyone in the hall even more.

"DANCHOU!" the other Ryodan shouted almost in chorus, all of them wide-eyed and frozen with deadly surprise. Kuroro, on the other hand, just shot the nearest Ryodan, Shalnark, a look that plainly said, "Do not interfere."

The assassin shot one more surge of Nen to his system and released his attack – a lethal punch accompanied by his chains. The leader of the Spiders on the other hand prepared to dodge and counter it but with only enough force to bring the Kuruta down and not injure him mortally. After all, he could not let such priceless beauty perish.

'_Not when I'm around_,' the Spiders' leader almost lost his balance at the seemingly stupid thought. '_Now where in HELL did that come from?_' the man thought, his nose wrinkling.

'_You must survive, Kurapika!_'

His fist was only a few inches away from the leader's chest when his target backed away and a leg kicked his wrist so hard he heard his bones crack. He did not feel it at first but he knew that his punch will be helpless without the support of his bones so he withdrew his arm a little and drove the Nen in them to his chains. The serpentine irons were charged with yet another doze of Nen which made them lash wildly before hitting their target.

Kuroro had managed to back away and evade the punch which could have easily bore a large hole in his body. He delivered a serious, highly Nen-induced kick to the assassin's attacking arm. The contact was sure and he heard the boy's bones breaking but the younger one was able to transfer his Nen as soon as he knew about the damage. The act just strengthened those already too dangerous chains and he knew very well about that.

Kuroro saw the chains lashing hungrily for him. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the chains and wrapped them fast around his arm. He knew that the contact with the assassin's chains would cause tremendous damage to his arm but knew better that if those chains would hit any other part of his body, especially his chest or head, he would certainly be dead.

The Kuruta was clearly alarmed at this and that momentary stun was used by the Spiders' leader to yank the chains and pull the Kuruta towards him.

His red eyes widened with shock as the leader dragged him closer only to be met by a very powerful punch on his abdominal area, hitting the lowest of his ribs and sending shockwaves on pain all over his body. The punch was too strong, pushing him to the opposite side of the hall with so much force that the wall he had hit with his back crumbled and showered him with a liberal amount of dust and rocks. He coughed hard and spat blood as he desperately tried to stand. His chains disappeared as soon as he fell back again.

"KURAPIKA!" his friends screamed at one side of the room. All three suddenly struggled to pull free but only Killua, the silver-haired boy, became successful. He was able to get close enough before he was barricaded by the dangerous glint of the samurai's katana.

Kurapika opened his eyes as soon as he heard his name being called. He strained to lift his head up but managed only to turn his face towards the source of the sound. His eyes widened and he jerked himself up when he saw Killua rushing to him and meeting the overly-sharp end of the samurai's katana. The silver-haired boy stopped just in time to avoid it from plunging at his neck; however, the samurai seemed determine to push the blade through.

"No… Don't… Please…" Kurapika heard himself pleading as he fell from another attempt to get up.

"Too late kid," the samurai grimly replied.


	4. Gift of Life

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Killua could not hold himself anymore and decided to get into the action, endangering his own life in the process. Kuroro, on the other hand, gives the Kuruta a chance to save his friends.

**WARNINGS:** This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

_**CHAPTER 4: Gift of Life**_

"Nobunaga!" the leader of the Ryodan called out loud. This time, his voice was harsh. "Do not hurt the boy."

The samurai lifted back his katana which was only an inch away from Killua's neck. "Lucky bastard…" he muttered under his breath as the boy sped past him to the suffering Kuruta. He returned the sword immediately to its sheath and he cursed the two youngsters from afar.

"Kurapika, are you all right?" Killua asked worriedly as he kneeled to get nearer to the injured Kuruta. His eyebrows were knotted and his voice almost quavering. He was surprised with his voice at first. He never felt so much fear before, but the sudden rush of adrenaline kept his fear at bay as he sprinted towards Kurapika. He felt all of those terrible sensations coming back as soon as he heard his voice though. Well, he could not blame himself. They are in the Spiders' Lair right now. And any sane person – Nen-user or not, would have felt their horrible auras. Anyone would have known that each Ryodan present in that area would not hesitate to kill – necessary or not. Moreover, feeling the cold blade of one of the Spiders so near your neck is one terrifying experience.

"I'll be fi-," Kurapika started but he coughed and spat more blood as he tried to finish the statement.

Killua aided him to sit a bit more comfortably and assessed the damage that the leader of the Spiders had caused. He hissed with anger as he saw the Kuruta's broken arm and the amount of blood that the blond had lost simply by coughing.

'_You're not fine!_' he could have replied loudly, but seeing that it could not possibly help in their current situation, he decided to keep the statement to himself.

Killua knew that as far as their Nen capabilities are concerned, Kurapika is the most advanced among their small group. It was still a big mystery though, on how the calm and collected and sometimes even feminine Kuruta was able to strengthen his abilities to a rate Killua would never found possible for a human who was not born a Zoldyck. Of course, he knew that given the same motivation, he would have been as strong but the same motivation would be quite impossible to affect him – he is quite used to killing after all. So when he learned that Kurapika had succeeded in turning himself from a normal teenager into the only living being that the Genei Ryodan seems terrified facing, he could not help but get curious.

And the day came when the four of them – he, Gon, Leorio and Kurapika, decided to meet again after half a year of missing each other, he decided to see if the Kuruta really changed. Well he felt quite disappointed when he saw Kurapika at a distance. He saw that the blond barely changed. Kurapika is still, well… blond. But he looks thinner, paler and a lot more fragile – more feminine. The boy did not seem to be as scary as the description.

"Kurapika!" Gon shouted from their position, unconsciously knocking away some ice cream and splattering it on Killua's face. The spiky-haired boy, however, was too excited to see their blond friend; he did not even notice that he had accidentally showered Killua with the dessert. He was now running to where the blond was standing, bouncing with joy and laughter.

"Gon," Kurapika faintly muttered in return, as Gon's bright-eyed and wide-grinned face approached him.

"It's been a long time," Gon said, more seriously this time, but still smiling, definitely happy for their friend's return. "Kurapika, we really-"

"Meow!" Killua jokingly mewed, spreading ice cream on Gon's face as retaliation for the earlier act. He took the chance to observe the Kuruta more closely.

Actually, he was expecting to see the blond emitting an aura similar to his or Hisoka's or something really frightening – after all, he was the Chain-Guy that the Genei Ryodan had been so anxious to meet and too terrified to fight on a one on one basis, and not to mention that he already managed to silence a Spider for eternity and had he known the future, another one soon after that. But Kurapika looked normal – from head to foot, and foot to head. No terrifying aura, no scary-permanent-red eyes, no public display of huge and deadly weapons. It was just Kurapika – the blond boy who can easily be mistaken as a girl and most possibly get harassed, the same teenager that can nag the hell out of anyone especially the ones like Leorio, the same interesting Kuruta that became one of his best friends.

'_Looks normal to me,_' he commented in his head. '_I wonder if he really is the Chain-Guy._' He secretly scrutinized Kurapika's countenance and took not of every single bit of detail that was not there since the last time that they had met, about six months ago. '_I couldn't feel any hints of strong or offensive aura at all. Maybe I overestimated him. Yes, that must be it. Maybe I'm mistaken…_'

It was not until the Kuruta came closer that he finally realized. Kurapika did not emit the 'scary aura' because he was in Zetsu.

Kurapika smiled warmly at the two of them. Killua tried to decipher the genuineness of the smile. He knew very well that the Kuruta is hiding something. The fact that he had put himself in Zetsu in front of them was dubious enough. So once the blond smiled, he started on his attempt to break through Kurapika's barrier and see what the blond was hiding. Exactly as what he might have wanted, Gon pounced on the Kuruta. The other boy moved quickly and he found himself following him instinctively. He thanked his legs which had both leaped as soon as Gon's did, to attack the Kuruta. He went on with the flow with extra effort so as to surprise Kurapika and somewhat derive a bit of information from his aura.

All were normal when it was just Gon, but when he also joined the friendly pouncing and wrestling, Kurapika lost a moment, no, a millisecond of control. Gon must not have felt it, but he, being an experienced killer and more sensitive to the opponent or target's sudden reactions, noticed the same eerie likeness of Kurapika's Nen to his brother's.

He froze for a moment to shake his brain off the thought. Gon decided to stop all the childish stuff and proceeded into talking with the Kuruta instead. He took this chance to compose himself. After a few moments, he recalled the sensation and compared it with that of his brother's as the two seemed to be freakily similar. However, with his mind clearer now, he noticed a few differences instantly. '_At least his aura felt lighter and not as evil,_' he thought, pretending to be innocently enjoying the small talk.

Although feeling that somewhat-good-but-definitely-dark, not to mention murderous, aura was nevertheless terrible, Killua knew that Kurapika will never hurt them or let them get hurt at any given time so he decided to forget about it.

'_He is our friend anyway._'

He felt footsteps getting nearer and he was kicked out of his thoughts. Killua turned his eyes to the direction. He saw the leader of the Spiders making his way towards them, still smiling. Simply judging by the aura being emitted by the dark-haired man, Killua knew that he does not stand a chance against the leader of Genei Ryodan. However, seeing Kurapika's helpless condition by his side, he decided that no matter what happens he will never let the Spiders' head get close to the blond. Not in this lifetime or the next.

'_Better be ready with this…_' he thought as he summoned sparks of electricity around him and the Kuruta as a thin line of defense. Of course, he was sure that it would not be enough to kill the man, but at least the stun the sparks can inflict would probably buy them more time to evade an attack. Killua sees the futile attempt as desperate, but right now, it is the best he can come up with. '_At least it could be enough to alert Kurapika so he can move away once he attacks._'

"Killua w-what are you doing?" Kurapika asked, surprised of the young boy's determined actions to protect him.

Killua decided not to respond to the Kuruta's question, instead, the boy stood up quickly and poised for an attack, his eyes became cold, dark and ghostly. His stance shocked Kuroro and his confident way of preparing his defense nearly caught him off-guard. The boy stared at him with deep, seething anger and with an unbelievable amount of Nen for someone his age. The leader had seen; through those eyes, numerous killing experiences and the great ability for inflict perfectly lethal attacks. All of these facts had led him to a single conclusion.

"A Zoldyck," the leader whispered to himself before taking another step. "Looks like the Kuruta have very interesting friends," Kuroro then added loudly.

At these words, Kurapika was hit by what was currently happening. His consciousness, which was hurriedly trailing off a few moments ago, was now coming back at him. He realized that Kuroro sees Killua now as a challenge – a hurdle needed to be leaped over with in order to attain his goal, and would definitely want to get his hands on the boy to force him into a fight to the death. He thought quickly and reached out for the end of Killua's right sleeve. He missed at first but seeing that he has not much time left before the two engage into a serious combat that would definitely kill his friend, he grabbed the sleeve and tugged it.

'_Killua, you don't know what you're doing. You have no match against him!_' he could have shouted, but the pain on his torso, his unceasing coughs, and the amount of blood that was rather stuck at his throat right now prevented him to do so. He continued to tug the boy's sleeve instead.

Killua lowered his center of gravity more for stability in case he would have to defend himself from an attack as he prepares for a quick lunge but before he could even move again. On the other hand, the Kuruta beside him tugged his clothes more firmly – coughing and splattering more blood in the process.

"Killua, don't," Kurapika said, his voice trailing off into nothingness.

'_I'm sorry, Kurapika,_' Killua replied in his mind, not really caring whether the blonde knew about it or not. '_But I have to do this if I really want to protect my friends._'

The leader of the Genei Ryodan, however, decided to continue walking until he is barely a few meters away from the boys. His lips still curved to a smile as he wished to see what the young Zoldyck can do. How far can the youngster get before he dies.

The Kuruta and the young Zoldyck felt the man's intention to kill and both of them were sure of whom that intention was directed to. Killua fought off the fear that nags his mind and concentrated on their small shield of electricity. Then he stretched his fingers and with a few cracking of joints, his hands morphed into dangerous claws solely purposed for killing. He ignored Kurapika's tug and was determined to attack. But before he could spring to the Spiders' leader, he heard Kurapika's weakened voice directed to the man in front of them.

"Please don't hurt him," he told the Spiders' leader, his eyes still blood red but his voice almost quavering, as if he's about to cry. With his uninjured arm, he reached out and blocked Killua from walking towards the Genei Ryodan leader. He ignored the pain that instantly swelled at his ribs when he moved his arm and pleaded, "Please..."

The other Ryodan were also tensing up, just in case the chain assassin decided to lunge at their leader for the second time. The head of the bandits must have sensed that his subjects are feeling irritated again so he raised his hand to calm them down. His eyes narrowed just a little and he spoke, as calmly as before, to the Chain-Guy who is now lying helplessly behind the young Zoldyck. He can feel the Kuruta's fear, not for the blond himself but for the boy next to him. He could clearly see the blond desperately trying to protect the younger boy. He would want to attack right now and see what the Kuruta will do. He deeply wished to push the blond a little further in the situation. His mind raced from the thought of what reaction he can draw from Kurapika when he got his hands on the Zoldyck, to the thought of getting down into business and amusing himself with the blond later. The latter thought won.

"Are you willing to cooperate now?" the Spiders' leader asked, eager to end the task for tonight so that he will be able to satisfy his curiosity sooner.

Killua turned his shocked gaze back to his friend behind him who was now hissing with pain as he repositioned his arm to his lap. He saw, how desperately the young man tries to defend him. He knew that Kurapika was just too proud therefore he never believed that he will ever see the latter plead for the sake of their safety, especially in front of the Spiders. And he could not believe his luck when instead of attacking him; the leader seemed to be contented upon hearing that Kurapika finally yielded. He was so sure that had Kurapika not intervened, he would be dead right now.

Kurapika nodded silently. "Please don't hurt any of them," he almost voicelessly mentioned.

Killua was suddenly stuck by the idea that the blond was holding his tears.

'_Kurapika…_'

Their other two friends who were also struggling hard at the enemy's grip, halted at their efforts as they saw their blond friend resign to the Spiders for their sake.

Leorio was the first one to react, "IDIOT!" Unfortunately, the giant who guarded Killua earlier had already lost his patience with such stubborn hostages. He hit Leorio hard behind the head just to knock him out for the moment.

Kurapika saw what happened and instantly, his eyes widened again as if he is about to attack for the second time.

Nobunaga, the samurai, noticed this and unsheathed his sword which he pointed menacingly to the youngest boy, Gon. He was clearly indicating that another move from the Kuruta will allow him to make the youngest boy's head roll on the dusty ground.

Kurapika growled under his breath. The pain of his broken arm had started to become unbearable and his torso can barely move. But what angered him the most by now was the fact that the Spiders are now using his friends – the only ones left to him, to get what they want.

If he had not pleaded for Killua, the boy might be dead by now, seeing the murderous look at the eyes of the Spiders' leader. Leorio on the other hand, he was sure to be alive, but he could never bear the fact that the man was knocked out because of him. And Gon… the young boy was still struggling hard and is looking at him – encouraging him; of course, he will never forgive himself if something happens to the boy.

"Very well, since you only have two choices left instead of three," the leader started again, as if nothing happened a few minutes ago. "Then your decision time should be a lot shorter now."

Kurapika wished that at least he could have the liberty to sigh, but the unbearable pain on his torso was too much already that breathing itself is killing him. He closed his eyes to think.

"Choose me, Kurapika", Killua said instantly, his gaze not leaving the eyes of the Genei Ryodan leader.

Kurapika's eyes shot wide open at the boy standing beside him. He sent him a look that simply said, '_Are you crazy?_'

All of the spectators – the other Ryodan of course, blinked at the statement. Although they had expected a scene like this, nevertheless, seeing a kid sacrificing himself for the sake of another was quite a view. After all, with the number of people they had sent to the afterlife, only a few as young as these ones were loyal enough to their friends to do the same. Only the leader seemed to be unaffected.

"Whatever they are planning, I have better chance of survival than Gon," Killua added immediately to satisfy the ongoing debate in the blonde's head. "You know what I mean."

"But…" Gon started to argue, almost breaking free of his captor's hold but only to be held back by Nobunaga's katana.

Kurapika clenched his uninjured fist at the situation. Killua is right. Whatever kind of nastiness the Genei Ryodan is planning, between Gon and Killua, Killua obviously have more chance of crawling out alive.

He analyzed the situation. If the Genei Ryodan plans to torture him together with the one he chose, then although still cruel, nevertheless, the Zoldyck would be the wiser choice, considering that torture would have only sounded more like breakfast or lunch for the silver-haired former assassin. And judging by the look on the leader's eyes, he can conclude that worse things are bound to happen to the one he would choose as compared to the one he would not.

Kurapika glanced at Gon. The spiky-haired boy had one of his eyes – although still seeing, swelling slightly on the eyelid, and he could see that he was the one who was most injured among the three. '_Of course he would be,_' Kurapika thought. '_He is the most stubborn among them so definitely, he would have been the last one to crack._'

Kurapika was sure that Gon could not take another round of beating, so if ever he chose the boy and his assumptions of torture was right, then Gon's life is done for. However, if he choose Killua, then their chances would be better.

"This is taking too long," the woman who bound Kurapika earlier said, her eyes narrowing. She sprinted to Killua's side and spun the thin thread around his neck immediately. She angrily tugged at the boy's neck just enough to bury the threads to his skin but not wound him. "Choose now or both of them will die!"

The samurai got the message from his comrade instantly and inched his katana closer to Gon's neck, making sure that the chain assassin could see his blade cut upon the outermost layer of his skin. "Your time's running out brat."

Kurapika's eyes reddened even brighter. His brain was squeezing him to make the most rational decision at the moment. He hissed a curse first before speaking audibly, "Killua…"

At the mention of the name, the giant hit behind Gon's head this time. Kurapika almost lost control again but he saw that the woman with the Nen thread was all too willing to sever Killua's head off his shoulders. The younger boy, expecting everything mentioned, merely twitched.

The Spiders' leader, on the other hand, was amazed at the sight. He cannot believe that the already glowing scarlet eyes could get any redder. He was now so attracted with those eyes, that he was reconsidering his decision earlier about keeping the boy. But he knew that business is business anyway. So he simply sighed in his thoughts and resumed the act.

"Stop worrying Kuruta, if you obey everything as I say, all of your friends will be going home alive and without any missing body parts," he finally told the blond.

His eyes brightened a little, but not of anger, although they are still blood red, but of hope. He could get his friends out of this mess after all. Of course, he will do everything to get them out of here – even if it meant going to hell and back.

"Now, heal yourself."

**A/N:** This chapter contains more friendship than intended but please do bear in mind that it is just friendship so there is no need to not put further implications, but if you really want, well, just tell me to add more XD… Chapter dedicated to the first reviewer Florallover! Yay! I hope this may answer your assumption.


	5. Conditions

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **With no other choices, Kurapika decided to submit to Kuroro's orders to save his friends. Knowing the changes in his Judgment Chain's abilities, Kuroro forced Kurapika to use it to Killua, so that he can be sure to take full control of the Kuruta.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors. The Nen-changes/alterations/et cetera, in this chapter are not true and did not happen in the story. Again, Alternate Universe setting… ANYTHING LIKE THAT DID NOT, DOES NOT, AND WILL NOT EXIST – except for this Fanfic of course. (Everything is just the twisted product of my equally twisted ideas).

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** OK! This chapter, just like Chapter 2: Letting Go, is a key chapter if you wish to understand what really happened to Kurapika's Nen. I researched a lot about the possibilities of Nen so that I could make this chapter and the change in Kurapika's Restriction and Pledge, as practical as possible. Special thanks to Naura Sakakibara for reviewing and for Florallover for sticking around and reviewing again! (I hope you guys received my replies XD). I never thought that single night will take five chapters but anyway, the next chapters would be more centered on the central theme of this Fanfic. Again, thanks to everyone who keeps on reading this… Don't forget to leave out your reviews, comments and suggestions. Now, off to the story!

**CHAPTER 5**

**CONDITIONS**

It was almost than two years ago when he first met the three boys. It was during the Hunter Exam. He met Gon and Leorio first, then Killua later. His first impressions about the three were all retained and had barely changed.

He first thought of Gon as a naïve, enthusiastic and rather strong-willed, not to mention hot-headed, boy who will gladly do anything for the sake of friendship. All of these were proven true when the young boy risked his life to get him, Leorio and another examinee out of a cave teeming with poisonous snakes. His predictions had not failed him, as the boy helped him, all too eagerly, when he planned to catch the leader of Genei Ryodan. And the most current, just a few hours ago, when the boy refused to talk on the phone despite the loud threats of the samurai at the background. Gon had refused to worry him because the boy knew that the moment he speaks, Kurapika would be rushing to save him, even if it means certain death for the blond.

Leorio, on the other hand, he first thought to be a stupid, loud-mouthed, greedy man but with a kind and noble heart that he would do anything and everything to be a doctor so that he could provide his services for free. He was wrong in almost every aspect; that Leorio is far from stupid – just compulsive and a little short of Gon's level of stubbornness, his loud-mouthed facade is put up to hide his ever worrying side, although, he is a bit greedy. But the greedy part had already decreased significantly after the Hunter Exam and right after he discovered that the man's desire for wealth is of the noblest reason – to cure the sick for free. Now, he only sees the man as his closest friend among the three – the one who would know him better, who would comfort him tenderly during his darkest, and would make him laugh as soon as the man sees him dragging himself to his nightmares again. Leorio was his best friend – the one who cared most for him and the friend he cared most for too.

And Killua, the moment he first laid eyes on the boy, he knew that Killua has a horrible past with an equally creepy personality secretly hidden by a façade of cheekiness and sheer chocolate obsession. So when Gon had revealed that Killua was a member of the Zoldyck family, he was almost unsurprised. He knew that the boy was some sort of one-man-killing-machine. The boy's stealthy steps, eerie eyes and dark demeanor were more of a giveaway. What he had not expected was that Killua had somewhat developed a strong emotional attachment to their small group, mostly to Gon. And now, he would never have thought that such a skilled young assassin will be willingly laying his neck on the line to help him.

Kurapika stared at the raven-haired man in front of him. His eyes were dark and cold yet eyeing him without any hatred or anger whatsoever. He turned his gaze to Killua who was now standing beside him with bluish Nen threads on his throat. Lastly, he turned his gaze to Gon and Leorio who were unconscious, just a few meters away from him.

'This adds to the tally. And I will make sure that all of you will pay with the last drop of your blood.'

Kurapika glared at the dark-haired man one last time as he summoned the Holy Chain. Fortunately, he had not drained his Nen from the last and fruitless attack. The chains rose to life as soon as they were mutely called, calmly swimming in the air until the head, a cross, charged to his broken arm.

The members of the Genei Ryodan were all staring at him right now; they were all eager to see what the Chain-Guy can really do. There was a moment of silent awe but it was the leader of the Spiders who was the most fascinated at the situation. He watched attentively as the slightly swelling arm returned back to its normal size and color.

'Impressive…' he thought his hand almost flew to his chin but feeling the pain since it was the one he used to grab the chain, it did not do as much as a tremble. He could not believe that those chains were capable of dealing enormous damage on his Kou-protected arm.

Kuroro looked at his damaged arm. It was badly mangled and he could feel his bones broken inside, but he shoved it to the other side of his mind as he concentrated again to the interesting Kuruta in front of him.

As Kurapika finished healing his own arm, he quickly flicked his hand to lead the chain to his torso. His chain seemed to be searching for the damage at the moment and as soon as it found the injured area, the chain stopped moving. After another few seconds of awkward and awed silence, everyone saw the chain lashing away from the Kuruta then disappearing from sight. However, instead of standing up, as expected by every conscious person in the area, Kurapika remained in his seated position – magnificent crimson eyes staring straight and almost not blinking at Kuroro's dark emotionless eyes.

"Good", Kuroro finally managed to say after facing the lost of proper adjectives for the very first time in his life. 'He could be a lot more useful to us if it was not for his stupid revenge!' he thought again, before proceeding to the plan. "Now for the kid", Kuroro started after coughing once to gain the attention of everyone in the area. "I want you to use the Judgment Chain on him."

"YOU WHAT?!" Kurapika who was just sitting a second ago had jumped to his feet. It is impossible not to notice that he could be charging again right now causing the other Ryodan to tense their guards. Killua, on the other hand, seemed to have expected this and simply closed his eyes as the woman tugged angrily at his neck.

Kurapika noticing that Killua's head was in deep danger of separating from the owner's body, judging by the look at the woman's eyes, he decided to calm down a bit.

"I want you to use the Judgment Chain on him", Kuroro repeated, as if it was a favor as easy as turning around.

"I couldn't possibly-", Kurapika started but he was cut short by the leader.

"I knew you had changed your chains' Restriction and Pledge", Kuroro said confidently.

Kurapika fell back to his knees just after the leader finished speaking. He had not thought that the Spider will be able to know about this. Only he, his friends and his Master knew about the change in his Restriction and Pledge. Kuroro Lucifer could not possibly know about that.

Then again he thought, the man in front of him right now seemed hopeless to escape from his Judgment Chain about a year ago, but now here he is, forcing him to obey his every word. Kurapika seriously thought, after he left the Spiders' leader alone in a deserted land, that the man could not do anything with his Nen anymore. He already considered that there are powerful Nen-removers that could lift his 'curse' from the leader of the Genei Ryodan, but he was a hundred percent sure that he will feel it if ever his Judgment Chain was lifted from the victim's heart or if it kills the victim as what had happened to the second death upon the Spiders – the woman named Pakunoda. Therefore, once he felt the change, he can easily act upon the matter. What he had not counted on, was that there exist possibilities that he would not be aware of the fact that the subject of his Judgment Chain had been able to free himself unnoticed.

That thought struck him like lightning right now.

'How can you be so stupid?' Kurapika thought to himself, slapping his forehead hard at the very moment.

The truth finally sank to him, one by one.

After he had changed his Restriction and Pledge, he knew that his abilities lessened a little bit. This is due to the fact that the greater the risk, the greater the power that the chains can give. Now turning back to the principle, means that the lesser the risk, the lesser the power. So when Kurapika decided to lift his conditions, he also lessened his chains capabilities. He knew about that very well. What he did not know, and is currently presenting itself fully right now, was that when his power weakened, the Nen that bound the Genei Ryodan leader weakened too, therefore, weakening the connection between him and the Spiders' leader. Another reason could be that the lifting of the conditions he imposed upon himself to create a new one must have been the same time that the Nen-remover used to lift the chain from Kuroro Lucifer. After all, the process he had undergone with his Master when they changed his Restriction and Pledge was long, almost lasting a whole day – that would have been enough to completely remove the Judgment Chain from the Spiders' heart without him, the one who inflicted it, noticing. Thinking about it, even a whole hour could have been more than enough. Although he doubt it that the Nen-remover lived after lifting his Nen from the leader, nevertheless, he is sure that the leader knew about the change in his chains even before the Nen-remover tried to lift it. He must have been the one who rushed to get the Nen in his heart removed so that it can be done so without the Nen-user – Kurapika's, knowledge.

'The Nen-remover must have told him to wait for that moment', Kurapika told himself. 'Then he must have done a little research to know what I did with my Restriction and Pledge. Or he could have tortured someone out-'

Kurapika tore his wide-eyed gaze away from the leader to Killua. The silver-haired seemed to have read his thoughts. The boy looked back at him and nodded once.

Kurapika clenched his fists again and stared to the ground, his hair covering his red eyes. He wondered who among the three of his friends was tortured to obtain the information. He forgives the person, but what he could never forgive was the dreadful process that his friends must have gotten through before he came in the area. Then he remembered seeing their faces for the first time today. He saw that all of them had multiple cuts and injuries all over their bodies – their clothes quite torn to show the wounds. He remembered how the small man who had a covered face laughed as he was asked if the boys were all right. He remembered the way Gon and Leorio walked as they were pushed in the hall – they limped, possible result of leg injuries. He could not believe what he had gotten his friends into.

"I know that your Restriction was lifted from using the chains to us only, to using it to people who had wronged the law and had consciously killed or contributed to the death of another person for his own benefit", the Spiders' leader suddenly spoke, "Am I correct, Kuruta?"

Kurapika did not reply, instead he continued upon staring at the ground, barely breathing.

"And you retained your Pledge that should you use your Judgment Chain to anyone not guilty of your Restriction, you will die. Correct?"

The Kuruta gritted his teeth as he lifted his glance from the ground to the man in front of him. "You and your wicked ways…" he muttered to himself as he shook violently with anger.

"But did you know about the perk, dear Kuruta?" Kuroro asked, liking the last words better than he thought.

Kurapika was surprised. He did not know what Kuroro was talking about right now. "Perk?"

"Yes" Kuroro replied, pleased with himself from this part of the story that was unknown to the main character himself. "There is a little perk from what you have done. That perk existed even before you kidnapped me and way before you succeeded in killing Ubougin and Pakunoda. Did you not know about it?"

A single look at the Kuruta's face was enough to conclude that he had no idea of this 'perk' that Kuroro had been talking about.

"It seems like your Master forgot about this when he taught you", Kuroro said, his eyes narrowed a little looking as if he was eyeing something delicious – a dessert perhaps. "It's too bad we haven't met yet, or I would have told him so that you would have learned about it. After all, that 'perk' that I am speaking about, is very useful."

Kurapika would have sighed at relief by hearing Kuroro. The statement just confirmed that his Master had not been through the hands of the Genei Ryodan after all. He restrained a small smile and kept a straight face.

Kuroro sighed a little, as if he could not believe the situation – though he expected it. Then he explained, "When you obtained the chains, have you ever thought of using it to yourself and to others at the same time? Or did you really believe that the chains can only be used on one person at the any given time?"

Kurapika responded this time. He felt as if the man was mocking if of his ignorance in his own weapon. "Of course I know it can. I've used it that way, if that's what you want to know!"

Kuroro was the one surprised this time, but he would not yield yet. He must be sure. "And when?"

"When I used the chain to bind you to my conditions, I had just finished binding your woman member to other conditions as well. And not to mention that I still have a condition to myself back then and even until now", Kurapika replied curtly.

"That is not what I meant."

Kurapika's eyebrows knotted. He could not understand, but he was not going to actually say it.

The leader took the look at Kurapika's face as 'Please explain'.

He smiled and then spoke, his voice as tender as the first time, "You see, what I meant is using the chains in a single heart but involving several persons. What you did and still doing is using the chains in the hearts of several different people and using different conditions on each one. I do hope you can understand what I mean right now."

Kurapika blinked.

The other Genei Ryodan looked as confused as the Kuruta. Even Killua was itching to ask, 'What?'

Kuroro sighed, frowned with frustration and then thought for a better explanation. After a few moments, he smiled again and spoke, "I will simply tell you what I want you to do and believe it or not, it is possible with your chains."

The samurai was now scratching his head, since their Danchou's words did not do anything to lessen the confusion whatsoever. He stared at his comrades and saw that all of them looked as confused as he is.

The Spiders' leader said, "I want you to use the Judgment Chain to the kid and make these conditions. First, you, my little Kuruta, must obey whatever I will order you to do; therefore, you must not try to kill any member of the Genei Ryodan, unless I, myself, told you to do so. Second, you must not commit suicide to lift your Nen from the boy or he dies as well. Should you break any of these, the boy dies and you live to feel the misery of guilt."

Kurapika shot his mouth open with shock.

"And of course, that perk comes with a price", Kuroro continued, ignoring Kurapika's surprise. "Once you do that, the subject's life becomes connected to yours. After all, you are the actor in the condition, and he was just another one to suffer the consequences with you. So, if ever he – the subject, dies in any way – suicide or not, you die with him. Of course, that is except when the cause of his death is your disobedience of the imposed conditions. If that is the case, as I have told you, he dies because of your chains and you live to feel the guilt of killing him indirectly. So technically, for him to live you would either have to abide with all of the conditions or you would have to die a non-suicidal death."

It all made sense to Kurapika. Right now he knew that the words from the Spiders' leader were all true. He had not considered any of those but now he finally realized that the leader had done quite a good research. He knew that the conditions are possible. After all, he was the owner of the chains and he is somewhat connected to his chains' subjects, but he had not considered his subjects acting as puppets since he knew that their death might endanger his life as well. He can only be safe if the subject dies by not meeting the chains' conditions. The idea had hit him once or twice in the past, but seeing that it is dangerous, as the subject might somehow decide to end his own life and therefore kill Kurapika too, he discarded it immediately. He could not help but be surprised right now at the leader of Genei Ryodan, who was able to decipher the real ability of his chains.

"Do you need more motivation?" the leader asked Kurapika, as soon as he noticed that the blond was taking too much time to respond. He quickly called the other members, "Shizuku, Franklin, Coltopi, bring his sleeping friends beside him."

Immediately, the girl wearing glasses, the giant and the small guy – the guards of his friends, carried Gon and Leorio near to him and laid them to the ground face up.

"Nobunaga", the leader called for the samurai this time.

The samurai understood what he had to do and he walked towards Kurapika. Then standing just a foot beside the unconscious Gon and Leorio, the samurai unsheathed his katana again and placed it above his two friends' necks.

He had nothing to say right now that could stop the leader from his plans. He got one thing in mind though. "I am not allowed by my Restriction to kill those who are not murderers", he spoke, almost inaudibly, almost sounding doubting only if he had not stared straightly with those blood-red eyes.

"I am prepared for that", Kuroro replied confidently, the smile slowly transformed into a smirk. "Shalnark, contact Phinx and Bonorenof"

The brown-haired young man saluted energetically before running to yet another room in the area. After a few seconds, the young man emerged from the room holding a briefcase. He sat beside most of his comrades as he opened the briefcase to reveal a small computer. He turned it on with a button on the side and then waited while stretching his arms. As soon as the monitor lit up, the young man's fingers rushed to the keyboard and in a few more moments, he spoke, "Here they are Danchou!" He then turned the computer to face the leader and the two boys.

"Watch", Kuroro said as he moved his gaze from Kurapika to the computer, totally turning his back away from the Zoldyck and the Kuruta.

The monitor was not that big but the images were still vivid. Kurapika and Killua looked at each other before they stared to the computer screen, as if expecting something. However, there was nothing terrible about the images or at least nothing yet. The view was just a small room – plain purple and quite torn wallpaper, plus two empty chairs.

"You can talk now Danchou, they can hear you already", the brown-haired youth cheerfully said.

Kuroro decided not to waste anymore time by observing the sickeningly plain sight and he spoke. "Phinx, Bonorenof, where are our Kuruta's friends?" he asked, obviously asking the ones on the other side of the line who are currently not visible in the computer screen.

"Here", a man's voice answered immediately.

Kurapika nearly jumped at the view. In the monitor, he could see his other friends – two familiar faces whom he had worked with back in the Nostrad Mansion. They were being led to the room from the left side of the screen. 'There must be a door there somewhere', Kurapika mused but he kept the mundane statement to himself. He focused on the two people as his heartbeat became heavier. The situation had become more difficult to handle since it did not only involve his friends but also his former comrades who had totally nothing to do with anything and probably confused right now.

"Sensitsu, Bashou…" he whispered to himself in between curses.

Senritsu and Bashou, former colleagues of Kurapika from his job as a Nostrad bodyguard, entered the room. Both of them had their hands tied behind their backs and each were lead by a Genei Ryodan member. Senritsu, the female music hunter was followed by a seemingly mute mummy-like Ryodan, while Bashou, the bearded man was dragged by an Egyptian-looking man who does not seem to have any eyebrows. Senritsu looked worried but unscathed while Bashou seemed angry and had a huge violet swelling bump for a left eye. Kurapika concluded that Senritsu must have surrendered easily because she is not the fighting type, while Bashou must have done a fruitless resistance. He was glad that at least one of his friends is physically unhurt.

The Egyptian tied both captives to a chair and then signaled a thumbs-up to them. That must be some kind of cue because as soon as the message was received, Shalnark came rushing and then halting just a couple of feet in front of Kurapika. He then showed the blond a weird gray remote control with a huge green button.

The youth looked at Kuroro first who simply nodded then the young man spoke, "This is a remote control. Yeah, I know it is obvious but this is no ordinary gadget and this", he pointed out at the green button, "is no ordinary button."

Kurapika gave him a blazing look that said everything he had in mind at that moment, 'What the hell are you talking about? Just get on with the point!'

The young man simply gulped at the blond, who looks angry enough as if he is going to shoot fire from those red eyes, and then continued, "This green button holds one or both of your friends' lives." He smiled after the statement then resumed, "I will give this to your friend here, Killua, and he will be given five seconds to decide whether to push the button or not. If he decides to push the button, Phinx beheads Mr. Mustache, but if he does not push the button, Bonorenof breaks Ms. Flute-player's neck. Either way, one of them there goes to kingdom come. Get it?"

Kurapika could not help it anymore and he yelled angrily again, "What the hell do they have to do with any of these? They must even have forgotten about me already! Why do you even have to involve them?"

Shalnark, the brown-haired young man, was about to answer when Kuroro stepped in the small talk, before the Kuruta could kill the young man with his voice. "Your Restriction is that you will only use the Judgment Chain to someone who had 'consciously killed or contributed to the death' of another person, right?" Kuroro said, giving emphasis on the most essential words in the sentence.

Kurapika simply muttered a few inaudible curses which the leader took as a yes. Kuroro wished to sigh but continued speaking instead. "Since we are not sure whether your friends had killed anyone, we came up to the solution of this small predicament by forcing your chosen one to kill instead. That way, time wasted by researching whether your buddies here had been killers would be utilized to plan on how to fetch you instead. Anyway, with that remote control everything is made easier and no one gets to be physically forced into committing murder. You see, once your chosen friend here gets hold of the remote control, whether he pushes the button or not, he will cause or at least contribute to the death of another person, namely, one of your friends you can see from the computer monitor. Therefore, that makes him qualified to be a subject of your chains."

Kurapika shot his mouth open. Everything that the Genei Ryodan leader told him was, once again, true. Whether Killua decides to push the button or not, once the person dies, he directly contributed to the person's death, qualifying him to be a subject or rather victim of Kurapika's chains. Kurapika found no hope in the situation. He simply said, tonelessly, "You said that all of my friends can get out of this mess alive…"

"All who were here can" Kuroro reasoned, trying to anger the blond again.

Kurapika was still gritting his teeth when Killua finally spoke, his voice hiding what must have been a nasty laugh, "All of us can, actually."

"Shut up kid!" the woman holding him snapped, pulling the threads tighter at Killua's neck, which miraculously stayed not wounded.

"Machi, don't hurt him. I want to hear his reason" Kuroro ordered, quite interested at the boy's sudden statement. "Speak", he told Killua.

The woman loosened the threads and gave enough space for Killua's throat, therefore allowing the boy to speak. Killua, on the other hand, continued his evil smile and spoke again, "I do not need another death to qualify me as a subject of Kurapika's chains."

Everyone who had not known the silver-haired boy seemed a little surprised at his words. Nonetheless, Killua resumed, "I know that your leader felt that already when I posed to attack him earlier."

Kuroro smiled again, quite impressed at the cleverness of the Zoldyck boy. "Yes, I know that you are a Zoldyck. And I know that you had killed a lot of times already. Is that the reason why you volunteered earlier?"

Kurapika could not help but stare at Killua this time. 'So he sensed all of these will happen.' His eyes narrowed at Killua with a hint of confusion and an urge to silence the boy. He could not risk Killua's life in this and as far as he can take it, he will not use his chain to any of his friends.

"Yes", Killua replied to the leader. "I felt this coming so I volunteered." His nasty smile perfectly concealed his real thoughts. 'I do not like my friends getting their hands dirty with killing Kurapika's colleagues. At least I can lessen unnecessary deaths.'

"Wise move Zoldyck boy", the leader said, a bit amazed at the youngster's ability to anticipate events. He turned to the computer and ordered the two Ryodan from the other line, "Phinx, Bonorenof, abort the mission. Do not hurt our Kuruta's friends anymore, just knock them unconscious and come back here immediately."

Most of the Genei Ryodan members raised an eyebrow at the demand but none said a word anyway. Even the hot-headed samurai merely rolled his eyes after the order.

In the computer screen, the one without any eyebrows opened his mouth, as if he was about to question their leader's order. He hesitated upon choosing whether to obey or to ask. After a few seconds, it seems that he decided to shake the question away from his mind and sighed instead. He faced the mummy man and shrugged. The next moment, both of them had already delivered a swift blow at the back of both captives' heads. The man with no eyebrows walked closer to the camera first before the screen went on static.

Immediately, Shalnark ran back to the computer to turn it off before putting it back to the briefcase. As soon as he was done, he took the remote from his front pocket and inserted the device on a small compartment on the side of the briefcase before walking towards his other comrades.

Kurapika was now staring at the ground again. He was a little bit glad that at least, he can be sure that Senritsu and Bashou will be okay. But still, he could not believe that he will be using his chains to bind Killua – a very important friend. After doing that, he would have to be a slave at the Genei Ryodan leader's every whim and worse, he could not commit suicide to free himself or else, Killua dies.

"Now, will you get on with my order and let all, and I mean all, of your friends walk away from here alive? Or do you want to keep their heads only, instead?" Kuroro said, as soon as the computer was out of sight. "It is your decision."

Kurapika took one last look at Killua, who looked back at him with the kindest smile he can manage at the moment.

'Everything will be fine Kurapika. Don't worry' he said to himself, wishing that the Nen-threads had not tightened to how they already are so that he would be able to speak again. 'And if the Genei Ryodan leader kept his promise, I swear we'll do everything to help you out of this. I swear…"

Kurapika clenched his fists and closed his eyes. He exhaled and calmed himself, thinking that at least he could assure that his friends will be alive after this. Then he decided to summon his chains with the last of his Nen for that day. "Repeat your conditions."

Kuroro did not waste any moment and spoke immediately, "First, you, Kuruta, should obey my every order. Second, you must not commit suicide. If any of the two conditions shall be broken, unless the breaking of rules had been under my orders, then the boy dies." Kuroro decided to keep the conditions short and straight to the point so as to avoid loopholes that the blond may find and use against them.

"This will not take long", Kurapika replied. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his chains as he materialized them. The process took longer than usual since the chain had to pass through his heart first in order to make the connection. In a few moments, the chains became visible to the others again, wildly lashing around the blond before a small sword – the head of the Judgment Chain, pierced the Zoldyck boy's chest.

Killua merely twitched as he did not see the chains piercing his chest and circling itself around his heart, but he must have felt it though, because after the chains finally disappeared from view again, the boy clutched his chest. 'Wow…' he thought.

"As agreed, your friends shall be safely escorted back to their comfy little home – no missing limbs and still breathing regularly", Kuroro spoke. He then raised his uninjured hand which gave the cue for the other Genei Ryodan members to take the Kuruta's friends away – leaving only Shalnark, Machi and himself behind.

Kurapika took one last look at Gon, Leorio and Killua, before all three boys were carried off by the Spiders – Killua being knocked off in mid-air. It simply looked wrong, trusting his mortal enemies with his best friends' lives. But no matter how angry he got, he could not help but trust the Genei Ryodan leader's words.

"As for you, little Kuruta, you should not escape from me or from my assigned guard to you, and you should not kill any member of the Genei Ryodan anymore. Those are my orders", the leader said, as calm and as tender as before.

Kurapika could not do anything right now but grit his teeth clench his already bleeding fists. Finally, he realized that nothing good will ever happen no matter how angry he got. He exhaled deeply to calm himself and replied to the leader, as calmly as possible, "I understand."

"You should", the leader added before motioning the Kuruta to follow him. "Shalnark, come over here too and take care of our guest. Machi, I need you to fix my arm."

Kurapika, Shalnark and the woman who uses the Nen threads followed shortly. Kurapika was fuming while Shalnark was still wearing that childish smile. The woman – Machi, however, walked behind the Kuruta, eyeing him suspiciously.


	6. Arms and Legs

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **The night before had left a lot of unfinished discussions between the members of the Genei Ryodan. So, as soon as their subject for discussion fell asleep, well guarded by two of them, the more talkative and opinionated members of the Spiders launched themselves into a mundane debate.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors. Genei Ryodan members may not be acting like themselves in this chapter… you've been warned.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Special thanks to Willey, Naura Sakakibara and Florallover for reviewing… Right… Now, uhm… This chapter can be considered as a simple 'filler' between Chapter 5 and Chapter 7. But if you want to observe the growth of the Genei Ryodan members in this story, most especially, in their way of treating our pair, then, this chapter could be crucial. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 6**

**ARMS AND LEGS**

"What do you think about him?" Kuroro asked just out of nowhere, as he closed a book he had been reading. Everyone in the hall halted their activities and stared blankly at him. Most of them who understood instantly hung their heads low and swam in their own judgments. One man who hated feeling confused and left behind was the first to comment.

"Who?" Nobunaga, the hot-tempered samurai, asked walking towards Kuroro with an eyebrow raised.

"The Kuruta, obviously!" a woman replied curtly, rolling her eyes at the same time for the samurai's ridiculous question. She is Machi, the one who uses the bluish Nen-threads. She did not move away from her spot as she was near the leader already but she stood up to alert everyone that she will be active in this conversation.

"Don't expect too much of his brain, Machi. You'll only be disappointed", Phinx, the usually Egyptian-costumed man who possesses no eyebrows remarked. Tonight, he is wearing his favorite and very normal looking sportswear.

Nobunaga growled at Phinx but surprisingly, the samurai refused to argue this time. Instead, he faced their Danchou with a look that demands a clear explanation.

Kuroro noticed Nobunaga immediately and the leader smiled. "I simply wanted to know what you think of the boy."

"Hmmm…" Shalnark, the brown-haired and exuberant young man hummed, his face fell to the ground as his eyes scanned blankly at it as if reading the answers. His right hand held his chin tightly, thinking deeply. "Well, I think Pakunoda's memory of him is very much correct but there are a few flaws. He is one able fighter, being able to attack you like that last night. However, in Paku's memory, the Chain-guy is more collected, or should I say, cooler and not the kind who you would expect to act out of sheer anger and killer instincts."

At that point, the members of the Genei Ryodan who heard Shalnark's reply decided to join in the discussion. Most of them walked towards their leader and then halted upon reaching a comfortable distance – just enough for them to hear everyone and be heard.

"Maybe because his friends were in danger that's why he could not think clearly", Machi explained.

"Maybe…" Shalnark said, thinking deeply. He was still in deep thought when he was kicked off his musings by another opinion.

"And there's another one. There's this one little thing that's not quite right too…" Phinx now spoke, his eyes staring straight at Kuroro's.

Everyone listening stared at Phinx expectantly. Phinx in reply, grinned at them knowingly.

"What is it Phinx?" Kuroro asked, expecting such reaction from Phinx.

"The Kuruta, is he really a guy? Or what?", Phinx asked seriously.

Machi's leg, Shalnark's fist, and the huge man – Franklin's, gigantic hand came in contact with the back of Phinx's head. A loud 'thud' could be heard, nearly waking up the sleeping Kuruta from another floor. The two people guarding him, shifted from their positions before exchanging questioning looks. Nothing followed the sound so both of them decided to settle back instead of choosing who would check the hall below them. The smaller one shrugged and simply said in almost a whisper, "Must be nothing", before looking back at their prisoner who shot his red eyes open but closed them immediately again, dozing off.

"What?" Phinx asked incredulously, his hands feeling the now growing bump at the back of his head. "I was just curious! And I only wanted to be sure…"

"Isn't it obvious?" Machi angrily snapped.

"If it is, then I would not have asked!" Phinx replied loudly. "Danchou, don't you agree with me? The Kuruta looks like a girl, right?" Phinx shot an 'Am-I-correct?' glance, together with a finger pointing to the direction of the blond's room, to Kuroro immediately.

Kuroro found himself opening his mouth but releasing no words. Actually, he had an answer to Phinx's question. However, the image of the Kuruta wearing a female's clothing back when the boy captured him during the York Shin Auctions distracted him. He felt himself smiling at the thought. He gazed back at Phinx and answered, "Yes, I agree with you Phinx."

"See?!" Phinx said in an 'I-told-you-so' tone as his eyes returned to Machi who was now gaping openmouthed to their leader.

"Back in York Shin, after successfully capturing me with his chains, the boy took me to a car", Kuroro told them. Everyone present was now listening with full attention to their leader. "Because of his outfit and not to mention, his face, I really believed that he was a girl."

"So he was wearing a disguise back then. That's why I did not recognize him, even though I already knew his face when Paku gave me the memory of the dog-trainer named Scuwala", Nobunaga spoke, his voice low and his eyes shifting sideway, definitely guilty looking.

"That is right", Kuroro said. "He was wearing a pink receptionist uniform", he added blandly. He was secretly wondering how his subjects will react at the revelation.

Every brain in the hall jumped into different versions of the blond Kuruta wearing the uniform. The girls simply blinked at the possibility, but the men were the ones who took it more seriously – and quite comically, just as Kuroro had expected.

"Suits him better, don't you think?" Phinx honestly spoke after coughing and going slightly red at the thought.

Franklin and Shalnark, nodded. Machi slapped her forehead with embarrassment. Nobunaga, on the other hand, clenched his fist. 'So he was THAT girl!…' he thought to himself, secretly scolding and wishing that he could mash his brains right now for his stupidity. He could not believe that he failed to recognize the Kuruta behind him. The boy's Zetsu was perfect but if only he had thought faster to use En as soon as the lights went out, then things would have been different. At least Pakunoda would have been alive.

"The kid would have perfectly passed as a girl, no questions asked", Franklin said suddenly. "It must have been very unfortunate for him – a boy, to look like a girl. And worse, growing up all alone, he could have fallen victim for well, harassments from older men."

"Exactly", Kuroro replied. "I was really convinced that he was a female, even after he removed the wig and erased the lipstick, until he nearly broke my jaw with a punch. And that punch was not even reinforced with Nen."

Most men in the hall stared at Machi with the corners of their eyes. Everyone had the same thought. 'Machi can punch like that too…'

The girl felt the obvious stares from all over and she glared venomously at every one of them.

"I am wondering", Kuroro then spoke almost in a whisper. "What in the world happened when he fought Ubougin and won against him? How did he manage to defeat someone as strong as Ubougin? These were my questions ever since I saw him because when judging only by his looks, I never thought it was possible."

"Yeah, I half expected Ubougin's killer to be more… er, muscular. Not someone who will look rather 'delicate'", Phinx said, putting the last words in quotation marks made by the movements of his fingers.

"That bothers me too", Shalnark then said, his eyes clearly indicated that he was in deep thought. "He looks, well, as Phinx might put it, a bit delicate."

"I mean, look at him", Phinx added, shrugging for emphasis.

"That's not what he saw yesterday", Feitan, the small man with the lower part of his face covered with his high collar, said, finally contributing to the talk. His eyes shifted from Phinx to their Danchou. "He was fast and if the attack that he threw in first made contact with Danchou's body, it would have been a disaster. It's a good thing that Danchou is way faster or more experienced. I believe such kind of offensive, if dealt in huge numbers, could be responsible for Ubo's defeat."

"Ubo can take that attack and walk away unscathed", Franklin reminded Feitan. "When you fight with someone like Ubougin, you have to do a lot more than that. If the Kuruta attacked like he did yesterday, no matter how many times, someone as physically strong as Ubo would have at least survived. The boy must have done something else."

"A trap maybe?" Shalnark replied, scratching a side of his head doubtfully.

"Zetsu", Kuroro started to explain, his voice calm and cold. "When he uses his chains to bind someone, the victim is forced into Zetsu mode. Therefore, even if Ubo is a Reinforcement Nen user and incredibly strong, he is still no match for anyone who uses Nen reinforced punch when he is bound by chains and in Zetsu mode."

Nobunaga finally commented again. "I do not really think that Ubo could easily be bound and taken down by that brat! I could not even think that the brat was able to throw a punch as Danchou described."

"Yes", the girl with glasses – Shizuku, added to Nobunaga's answer. "But there must have been at least a few moments of physical combat involved even before Ubo was bound and forced into Zetsu. After all, this is Ubo we're talking about, right?"

"That is exactly what I am thinking about, Shizuku", Kuroro replied to the girl. "I am wondering on how he did during the time that he attacked Ubo, especially, during the moments that they really fought physically."

"Danchou, are you implying that Ubo could have lost 'physically' against that little brat?" Nobunaga questioned dubiously, his voice rising. "That is impossible!"

"Let me remind you that our Kuruta can use all Nen-types with a capacity and an accuracy of a hundred percent", Shalnark replied calmly. "No matter how unfair it may sound, I'm afraid it's the truth."

"WHAT?", most of the Genei Ryodan who were unaware of the information exclaimed in surprise.

"That was what I've learned from his friends", he continued. "And we all know how very formidable an opponent with similar Nen skills can be. I had not even thought that such ability was possible. And now I don't even have any idea on what Nen-type the kid came from."

"If that is the case, then he could have fought Ubo head to head plus a few more trump cards", Franklin declared. "He would definitely fight Ubo using Reinforcement to defend himself from strong physical attacks and even to throw in a few offensive ones. His chains would definitely not hurt Ubo even if the kid would use it as a whip, so he probably used it to bind Ubo during the confusion that the physical fight created."

Shizuku nodded with agreement at Franklin's statement.

"His speed is an issue too, not to mention the inexplicable aura he suddenly emitted out of nowhere", Machi added. "What he did last night was very stupid yet very impressive at the same time. Of course, we were most taken aback by the surprise together with Danchou's glare, and we can easily defeat him if we attacked together at that time anyway, but…"

"But?" Nobunaga pushed impatiently when Machi fell silent longer than comfortable, as if she was in a total loss for words.

"But the speed when he took off and the aura he suddenly released…" Machi finally continued – with much annoyance to the samurai, her voice trailing off, until she decided. "I genuinely believe that when really pushed to the limit; fighting him one on one and winning is quite improbable."

"That couldn't be true", Nobunaga hissed at her, really infuriated at Machi's implication that the boy can be stronger than what he seems to be. "I'll fight him and kill him easily, Machi. That, you can be sure of."

"If you proposed to fight him only for the sake of fighting, then I can bet that you will definitely win", Kuroro explained. His hand rested on his chin and his eyes are kept on the ground, indicating that he is very serious with his thoughts right now. "He is the kind who would definitely not fight or could not fight in full potential without enough reason. Thinking about it, I do not even know if he is aware of his full potential as a fighter. But if you angered him well enough, let's say, you killed one of his friends, then I am a hundred percent sure that you would not last a few minutes. Not anyone of you can", he finished, emphasizing the last statement by staring at each one of his subjects.

Kuroro received only a few intense stares which stated that most of his subjects understood very well.

"Is that why you emphasized over the phone not to kill his friends or hurt them too much?" Feitan asked, his curiosity woke up immediately at Kuroro's words. After all, he was the most eager one to do all the torturing back then but was restrained by his comrades due to their Danchou's order.

"Yes", Kuroro replied straightly. "I do not want to risk losing any of you and getting myself mortally wounded back then."

"So, we have to be careful?" Shalnark attempted to clarify the reason for their Danchou's sudden initiation of a discussion.

"No, not really", Kuroro replied. "He can only be a threat if he is angry enough. Right now, I don't think he is capable of such emotion because he is assured of his friends' safety. Like what I have told you before, they were the only ones that can be used to make him do whatever we want, and at the same time, they were the only ones that keep the boy from losing his humane side and starting a killing rampage on us. They are his only weakness and his source of strength." He paused for a moment and decided to answer Shalnark's implied question on the reason for the talk, "I just started this discussion because, as I had said earlier, I simply wanted to know what you think about him. And to warn you not to start any kind of fight against him. Remember our plan and tolerate his presence as much as you can." He meant the last statement for the three most short-tempered Spiders present who he eyed with emphasis while speaking – Nobunaga, Phinx and Feitan.

"Provoking him wouldn't do any good. He would never retaliate, knowing that his Zoldyck friend's life would be in danger. Verbal attacks are not allowed as well, because our Kuruta here is very much educated in almost every known debatable issue and quite sharp-tongued too. So, if you do not want to humiliate yourself from losing in a verbal battle against him, I suggest that you should content yourselves from glaring at him at a distance", Kuroro ordered.

"I'd rather not!" Shalnark gasped. "Those red eyes are creepy…" he instantly remembered the look that the Kuruta gave him on the previous night when he was explaining about the function of a certain remote control. "He looks as if he's ready to literally shoot fire at me with those eyes, even though I think that is not possible for him, but well..."

Kuroro stared emotionlessly at Shalnark while the young man explained. 'Creepy, yes… but nevertheless, beautiful.' Honestly, he could not blame most collectors to spend great fortunes in obtaining even the paler pairs. But the boy that they currently posses under their command has the most beautiful pair he had ever seen. He thought for a moment for the reason why their Kuruta's eyes possessed so much beauty in their redness, 'Maybe because he is still alive – filled with hatred and the thirst to avenge everyone in his tribe, and is deeply motivated that is why his eyes shone in such otherworldly appeal.' He recalled the beauty of the boy's eyes when they turn red and nearly fleeted off again to his irrational want to keep the boy. Fortunately, Nobunaga's annoyed grunt dragged him back to reality.

"Lastly, we must keep watch over him", Kuroro continued. He was secretly wondering on how long he could have drifted again from the present. "Every night, three people should keep an eye on him while he is here. I do not think he will escape if it will cost him his friend's life but let us not take any chances. Nobunaga, Phinx and Franklin, you should take the first three hours. Coltopi, Bonorenof and Feitan, take the next three hours after them. Right now, Coltopi and Bonorenof were the ones guarding him since I asked them earlier, so the first three should replace them after this meeting to give them some rest. Shalnark, Shizuku and Machi shall guard for the remaining hours, if there are any. And I will take my share of guarding him for the rest of the day. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in agreement with the division of labor. Nobunaga, Phinx and Franklin now headed for the blond's room to replace his guards while everyone else went to sleep. Their replacements, like machines, will automatically wake up after three hours and the leader can be a hundred percent sure of that. He, himself, headed off to bed to get some rest.

Walking past the boy's room while he was heading to his, the man could not help but peek inside.

As soon as he opened the door slightly, the two guards, a small, mop-haired guy and a mummy-like man stared straight at him from across the room. Both of them shifted their gaze to their right, as if directing him to the blond.

The boy could be seen sleeping silently on a small tattered bed. The white linen of his blanket was covering him neatly. His golden hair was scattered against the single pillow and was shining brightly despite the darkness of the whole room.

Kuroro thought of entering the room and observing the blond nearer but his he decided that it would raise stupid questions since he already arranged for the Kuruta's guards. He gently closed the room's door and headed to his own room instead, narrowly escaping the sight of the first and most questioning group of his assigned guards since Phinx and Nobunaga were members of it.


	7. Living With the Predators

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **As Kurapika was forced to live with the Spiders, Kuroro made it a point to keep the boy with him at all times. The boy had totally no idea why he was kept alive until he happened to eavesdrop on the members.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Special thanks to the regular readers and reviewers – Florallover, Naura Sakakibara and Philistia and to the newest one, phppsmsss. This chapter is the start of the longer chapters and the REAL action in the story. Thank you for sticking up with me for this long. Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 7**

**LIVING WITH THE PREDATORS**

It had been almost two weeks since they were kidnapped to lure Kurapika to the Spiders. All three boys were now seated in the small living room of a house they rented altogether. The small but cozy two storey cottage was chosen by the three Hunters as their second home since it is located near to Leorio's Medical School. It was also convenient for the two youngsters, Gon and Killua, because at last, they have something that they can call home more than those numerous hotels that they have been to. It could have been a surprise for the only boy who was not present in the living room, not even in the whole country, right now. The house was actually picked to get all four of them together since the missing one, the blond, had also been looking for a place to live in and relax during his breaks from Hunting. The three of them had been planning a small reunion so that the blond might see the place, hopefully like it, and finally settle down happily with them as they had already planned and talked about ages ago. But since the dreadful event took place just two weeks ago, a few days before their reunion, the Kuruta did not have the chance to at least appreciate the three boys' efforts to get them together.

Leorio was the first one to live in the place. He moved in the small house as soon as they found it since it was near his school. Gon and Killua then left to chase after their Hunter duties once they made sure that at least Leorio would be in the house to take care of it.

The older man did not mind living in the house alone since it is small and easy to clean. He was the one to designate the rooms in the house; one for himself and his things – books, notes, papers and trash, one for the two little boys who refused to stay in separate rooms, and one for Kurapika. Then there was a small living room with one long sofa-bed, two comfy armchairs, and a coffee table which accommodates several board games in its drawers. There is also a TV which Killua demanded upon, and a bunch of ottomans – which, as he believed, will serve as the weapons for living room wars. He also keeps the kitchen and the only bathroom as clean as possible. All in all, the whole house is very much well kept except for his own room which anyone could mistake for a dumpsite. Leorio never expected that the comfy little home that they all shared will feel as empty as it does today, the last few days, and worse, for the days to come.

The silence had become awfully awkward that finally, Leorio decided to speak, "I still can't believe that Kurapika was taken as prisoner now by the Genei Ryodan."

Gon, who was desperately devising a hopeless plan in his mind to free the Kuruta, was startled by Leorio's sudden speech. He barely whispered a, "Me too…" before he folded his knees and buried his face in them.

Killua, who the leader used to bind Kurapika into his orders, clutched his left chest lightly then said, with a weak smile, "At least we know that he is still alive."

The two stared at him for a moment then sank back down to their own thoughts. The silver-haired boy's statements will be their only connection to Kurapika until the blond gets back to them – an event with such a low possibility that they were almost prepared to accept that the blond is never coming back. At least Killua can feel that his heart still had the chains – a sign which means that Kurapika is still breathing. It is not a bad but also not a good sign. Not bad because as long as the chains remain there, it means a hundred percent that Kurapika is still alive. Not good because as long as Kurapika is still alive, it can also mean that he is now undergoing some severe kind of torture in the hands of the Genei Ryodan. Killua flinched and nearly punched the floor with the thought.

"I know that we should be contented with that, considering that Kurapika is living with the Spiders", Leorio said again after heaving a huge sigh. He hoped to lighten up the mood, although the fact that their friend living with the Spiders seemed as bad as their friend being death. 'At least in death, one can find peace', Leorio thought. Almost immediately, he felt disgusted. The next moment, he hated himself deeply for even thinking about the matter. 'NO! Kurapika WILL live through it, and he WILL come back to US!'

"He should not have come to save me", Gon muttered. Until now, he blames everything to himself. He felt guilty about the past events because he was the first one to get caught by the Genei Ryodan, and he could never forget that day.

He was just sitting beside a small pond waiting for a fish to bite his fishing line. Killua was just a few steps beside him, looking unblinkingly at the pond and patiently waiting for him to catch anything. Both of them were just relaxing after a long week of running after weird and almost extinct species of animals and they thought that fishing in the crystalline pond near the hospitable town would be the best idea to spend the last day of their stay in that jungle. Then just as an innocent fish was about to bite the hook, both of them felt the presence of someone. They instantly dropped their fishing ideas and prepared for an attack but as they were searching for the stalker, the presence multiplied into at least five separate individuals – all heading for their direction. Naturally, since they noticed that the followers were very strong Nen-users, they ran.

As they were running and jumping, sometimes even swinging from tree to tree, he decided to part ways with Killua, forcing the latter that this would be a better tactic to lure their stalkers away by dividing their attention. Killua yielded and soon they were escaping from opposite directions.

The pursuit lasted for almost an hour until he, Gon, due to the extreme rush and some panic, got caught in an invisible web, literally. It was not even a second later when he noticed that he met a blockage of fine bluish Nen threads and was about to avoid hitting it when, just from a few feet beside it, similar threads shot from the side to entangle him. It had been no more than a second when the owner of the threads showed herself, the same woman Ryodan whom he met in York Shin the past year. The next second, three other Genei Ryodan members sprang behind her and the last thing he remembered was a terrible pain from his head.

When he woke up, he felt his hands tied behind him. He struggled hard but he could not break them. Being a Reinforcement type Nen-user he was confident that he could free himself from the threads and so he used his energy to break free but as soon as the thing that bound him broke, he felt the coldness of a blade's edge ready to slice at the back of his neck. He froze with fear and finally resigned his plan to escape. He looked around and saw the same faces that he remembered from his encounter with the Genei Ryodan back in York Shin. He was about to ask what they want when he heard Kurapika's voice from a loud speaker just across the room. The samurai, with his katana still placed behind his neck, shouted threats and demands at the receiver of the phone then pushed the receiver to him and forced him to talk. Of course, he would never speak a thing, because if he does, then Kurapika will surely be heading to their location immediately and consequently, get himself killed by the Spiders.

He was still convinced not to speak when one of the Genei Ryodan, a giant, punched him hard in the stomach, letting quite a loud syllable to escape from his lips. That seemed enough because the last things he heard before drifting back to unconsciousness was Kurapika's frantic, worried and angered voice from the loud speaker and the samurai sarcastically saying, "Your two other friends will be here soon too, don't worry."

"Gon, you were not the only one there. We were caught too", Leorio said bitterly.

Leorio, on the other hand, had just arrived to their house from school. He was still skimming the refrigerator for something edible when his phone rang. He casually asked the caller for identification but when hearing none, he decided to drop the line. He was about to end the call when a man's voice said, "We have the Kuruta. Come here immediately if you want to see him alive. The details of the location will be sent after the call." As expected, he panicked and went straight to the received location. There, he found no Kurapika, instead, a group of weird-looking individuals emitting really strong Nen with the leader of the Genei Ryodan standing in the middle of the spacious area. He recognized the leader immediately because he was there when Kurapika kidnapped the man and he was the driver of their getaway car. The man simply smiled at him before he succumbed into darkness. Then he found himself tied up and guarded by Spiders along with Gon and Killua.

Killua remained silent. He was the one guiltiest of it all. Since the day when they found themselves in the front yard of their home, he had been thinking of the 'Ifs' of their situation. He had been greatly reminded that he had better survival instincts than Gon. If only he decided not to follow Gon's instructions in splitting up, then it is possible that they have better chances of escape. He could have just dragged Gon to wherever and run in their maximum capacity – maybe with their youth, his past hunting-and-killing-for-a-living experiences and Gon's expertise in coping with the jungle like a wild animal, they could somewhat outrun their pursuers. And given that he had yielded to the boy's idea, he could have just run away as fast as he could to escape the Genei Ryodan. Maybe, if he was capable of escape, he could have called Leorio and Kurapika to warn them of the situation. Then at least, only Gon would be held captive. That would have made things easier for him and Kurapika – even without the uselessness of Leorio as a Nen-user, to rescue the youngest boy. If only he kept on running out of the woods and straight to where there would be a phone signal, then he could have gotten the blond to devise a plan to save Gon and warned Leorio not to rush into any hostage situation. He and Kurapika could have managed to get Gon back, not without injuries, of course, but at least, their chances of not losing anyone to the Spiders could have been higher. Everything right now boils down into one mistake that he made; when he was out of the jungle, he became impatient with Gon's absence and rushed back in to save him on his own, only to find that it had been a trap and soon he became a hostage himself.

'Stupid…' he scolded himself sarcastically as he watched, helplessly, when the Spiders tied Gon. 'Now there are two hostages instead of one, and three soon, judging by Leorio's wit. The situation worsened and now, Kurapika would have to fight the Spiders all by himself to save us. And the worst part is, Kurapika would never want anyone of us to get hurt. With that as the main weapon, the Genei Ryodan could just threaten him into submission by simply placing that stupid samurai's katana on one of our necks. Great job Killua…'

Killua sighed and concentrated upon the beat of his heart. It is regular, and quite calm, but every time he thinks about how their friend had been rudely taken away from them, with him as the main hostage, the fist-sized muscle could not help but get impatient until his hands would be able to slash someone's throat up – better if the throat belongs to one of the Spiders, especially to the one with dark hair and emotionless eyes.

"Killua, you should take good care of yourself, from now on. Remember that if you die, another one dies with you", Leorio spoke almost inaudibly. "And let us hope that Kurapika could endure to live longer with them. We can be sure at least, that Killua will not die because Kurapika would never, in a thousand years and beyond, commit suicide. I know he would never do that because he knew Killua's life will be at risk."

Killua unconsciously nodded.

"I could not help but think of what horrible things the Spiders could be doing to him right now", Gon said, his eyes watery and his voice cracking because of great efforts to restrain his tears. "I dearly wish that they would not tortu-"

"GON!" Killua snapped immediately, not wanting to hear the finished word. He had been thinking about it but he had been too busy worrying that he had not spoken about it. Now the thought had hit him again, and desperate to lighten up their situation, he announced brightly, "I don't think the Genei Ryodan planned to kill Kurapika."

"Kuruta, good morning", a cold yet soft voice called upon him. "You should wake up now or your breakfast will become cold."

'I don't care about that damned breakfast!' Kurapika told himself but he got up anyway. He never liked it that the man calls him by his clan's name. 'How dare he repeatedly call me that way? Had he forgotten that he caused my clan's demise?' he angrily thought to himself.

"Did you have a bad dream Kuruta?" Kuroro asked innocently, as if he really meant it. "You don't look so happy to see me."

"I'll never be happy to see you!" Kurapika finally yelled, his eyes flashing from a calm ocean blue to blood red in mere milliseconds. "And stop calling me Kuruta!"

Kuroro was surprised at the sudden hostility from the boy but at the same time he was somewhat entertained at the change of color in his eyes. He managed to whisper an appreciation of the boy's organic rubies before really replying to the boy's complaint. "What do you want me to call you then?"l of color in his eyes. n hostility from the boy but at the same time he mere miliseconds.

Kurapika tore aware his gaze from the man into his fists which are now tightly curled into balls at his lap. He decided that he will never want the Genei Ryodan leader to address him by his clan's name ever again, because it only brings him terrible visions of the man ruthlessly killing his kinsfolk one at a time. "I have a name you know…" he muttered, almost as a whisper while he stared away from those dark eyes, but the man heard it though.

"Yes, I believe you have", Kuroro replied as he reached out for the tray of food at the boy's bedside table. "So, are you permitting me to call you Kurapika?" he asked smiling genuinely.

The blood red flame in the boy's eyes had finally died out and the color returned to its serene blue color. He sighed heavily before nodding weakly.

Kuroro grinned at the blond. He completely forgot about the boy's breakfast when he accidentally hit the glass of water in the tray because he was reaching out for the only untamed lock of the boy's hair. He caught the glass just in time and managed to retain almost every drop of the water in it. He remembered about the breakfast and decided to hand the plate in the tray to the boy instead of the whole tray itself. He then gave the spoon and the fork to Kurapika as he kept holding on the glass of water.

Kurapika just stared blankly at his food. The food does not look bad at all, and knowing the Genei Ryodan leader, he knows that his breakfast is clean as can be. He was just so deep in his thoughts that he almost did not notice that the man beside him was now scrutinizing every detail of his countenance. And also, he forgot about the food.

"Kurapika", the man called. He seemed to be enjoying the privilege that the boy gave him.

Kurapika was startled; he quickly regained his consciousness and held the spoon and the fork. Then he began eating, unconsciously at first until the man beside him caught his attention again.

"Don't you like your food?" Kuroro asked, his smile fading, and though not frowning, he looked somewhat disappointed?

Kurapika was a bit shocked at the expression. He thought and believed that Kuroro Lucifer, the fearsome leader of the Genei Ryodan, is not capable of such expressions. 'Well, he is technically and biologically speaking, still human', he thought to himself. 'I must be still half-asleep.'

"Is there something on my face?" the man asked bluntly, seeing that Kurapika nearly had his jaw dropping in seeing his previous expression. 'Kuruta, you're so… weird', he thought, hiding a smile at the second time in finding himself at a lost for adjectives.

"No. There's nothing on your face." Kurapika replied immediately, then regretting that he even replied after a few moments.

"You're talking to me now", Kuroro said, clearly pleased that his Kuruta is finally responding to him after a whole two weeks of stubborn silence and curses or sarcasms for words. "That's an improvement."

'Idiot!' Kurapika scolded himself soon as he realized what was happening.

Kuroro laughed. It was not loud or irritating, just a normal, hearty laugh – which seemed not normal for a man with his reputation.

Kurapika dropped his spoon now and was turning a bit pale.

The man calmed down and smiled at Kurapika with that same cold, dark, emotionless eyes then he spoke, in an almost paternal manner, "You can be really amusing if you want, Kurapika."

"Stop talking as if I'm some kind of toy, murderer!" he retorted, clearly hiding his disbelief with Kuroro's antics as he grabbed his spoon on his lap.

"It's Kuroro", the man said still smiling at the boy's sudden outburst. "You should call me Kuroro, you know. I know it will be hard for you. That's why I do not order you to do so, but please do try. It is quite inappropriate for someone as civilized as you to be so harsh with your word choice, Kurapika. And you can consider this to be the price to pay for urging me to call you by your name."

"Fine…" Kurapika muttered as he finished the last of his breakfast. Unfortunately, as his thoughts were preoccupied with his rising temper again, he swallowed the food too early and ended up coughing.

Kuroro was on the verge of laughing once again but he managed to restrain himself and handed the glass of water he had been holding for ages to the boy. "You should be more conscious with your actions. You could kill yourself Kurapika, and it may trigger the chains in your friend's chest."

Kurapika took the glass and drank the water he desperately needs right now. He could have kicked or punched the man right now by saying such a thing about his friend but attacking him would be bigger trouble so he decided to let it pass.

"Once you're OK, take a bath and meet me at the meeting hall", Kuroro said as he rose up to put the tray on the table and left the boy alone. "And please don't try to escape Kurapika, you'll only waste your energy", he added before closing the door.

Kurapika hissed just after the door was closed. He could not stand any minute more of his stay with that man. Every day since he was held prisoner of the Genei Ryodan, he had to come down from his room after breakfast – which he loathingly spend with Kuroro, and mingle with the rest of the members there. Kuroro made it a point that none of the Spiders should attack Kurapika, physically or verbally. So the days slipped by quite peacefully, because no one would talk to him aside from Kuroro or that young man named Shalnark. It was not as bad as he expected, although he regularly receive a few murderous glares from the more aggressive members, nevertheless, they never attacked or said anything about him.

After a few more coughs, he decided to get out of the bed. He was now facing the window of the small cobwebbed and dusty room that the Spiders had provided for him. There was a small amount of sunlight that is trying to squeeze itself on the closed window's tiny crevices. A huge urge pushed him towards the window to open it and soon he was drowned by the golden rays of the sun. The plain light blue shirt and the pale trousers that the leader gave him reflected much of the sunlight.

A healthy yawn escaped from his lungs and he stretched his arms upward as he enjoyed the first sunshine that he had ever since he was stuck with the Genei Ryodan because it had been raining every morning for two weeks. He stared longingly at the sky outside but his thoughts were interrupted by a few knocks on the door. He immediately turned around to look as if he was fixing his bed before speaking, "Come in."

"Hey!" Shalnark greeted as he entered the small room. He was carrying some neatly folded clothes.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow as soon as he saw what Shalnark was carrying. Every day, he recalled, the man would send for Shalnark to bring him new and probably stolen pieces of clothing. It seems that the man does not want him to wear his tribal outfit… not yet.

"Oh, Danchou said you need new clothes so I brought you these", Shalnark said, clearly understanding what Kurapika's look meant. "And your tribal clothes had been taken to be dry-cleaned too. I'll bring them back here as soon as they're OK."

"Thanks." Kurapika said, grateful that at least the Spiders did not dare ruin the last few artifacts left behind by his tribe.

"Don't mention it." Shalnark replied scratching a nonexistent itch at the back of his head just after he placed the boy's clothes on his bed. "I'll leave them here. See you downstairs then, bye!"

Kurapika nodded as he saw the young man leaving the room. He reached for the clothes and inspected them. He was not sure why he did though. The Spiders never did anything to harm him since they imprisoned him so he was not sure why he kept his guard up. After making sure that the clothes did not have anything poisonous or deadly, Kurapika folded it neatly and grabbed his towel – also provided by the Spiders, and headed for the bathroom.

Inside, he undressed and turned the shower on. This would be the only one spot when he was free to think of everything – his friends and their silly antics, what they are doing now, and what could he be doing now if he was with them. The last thought tugged his heart and he felt the same pain that he had when he found out that he was the last Kuruta alive – the pain of being alone, again. He leaned his arms on the wall and he bowed his head so that the water from the shower would not drown him as he struggled with his breaths while sobbing. Tears came streaming from his eyes to his cheeks and finally mixing with the water from the shower.

His mind raced from the visions of his clan being massacred while he was locked up inside a cellar to the happy memories he had with his friends – Gon, Killua and Leorio. He thought of Gon being the successful Hunter that he always dreamed to be and finally meeting his father. He saw Killua in his thoughts, freeing himself from being an assassin and happily living life like just any ordinary kid – laughing around and successfully escaping from the clutches of his brother, Illumi. Then he thought of Leorio as he finally graduated from the Medical School being the generous and loving doctor that he always wanted to be. He thought that he will not see all of those happen. He thought that after the Spiders are done with whatever they are planning for him, then that would be the end of his life.

'What are they planning to do with me anyway?' he asked himself just after recovering from all the painful thoughts. 'Why don't they kill me or torture me at the very least? What do they want really?'

He dressed quickly and opened the door of his room quietly. As he was turning towards the corridor that will lead him to the meeting area, he heard voices and his clan's name. He halted on the spot and listened cautiously. He carefully eliminated his aura – gradually turning into Zetsu mode, as slowly as possible, a decreasing pace that closely resembles the aura of someone walking away.

"…is the last Kuruta alive. That would be enough to fetch us billions!" a hushed voice spoke rapidly, almost excited.

"That doesn't lessen the fact that I want to kill him", another one replied angrily.

"Think of it Nobunaga. Once he is gone with a buyer, he is as good as dead. It will only take one order from Danchou to keep him from doing anything. But of course, I would want to cut his flesh by myself. If only Danchou hadn't told us to keep his whole body well preserved and unblemished…" another voice said. So far, Kurapika had recognized three voices, all of them male.

"Whatever. I cannot do anything against Danchou's orders anyway, can I?" the angry voice answered. "We should head down the meeting now before the boy gets out."

Kurapika was shocked at the conversation. His previous question had been answered but he could not believe the reason why he was kept alive and in perfect condition. His eyes flashed red again and before he knew it, the footsteps are becoming nearer. He cannot rush to the meeting hall because they will surely suspect, and he cannot go back in his room. So he hopped as silently as possible to the door of his room and managed to open then close it – pretending that he had just emerged from his room. As soon as he did, he saw the three Genei Ryodan members at one end of the corridor, facing him.

"It's about time that you got up", the Egyptian said, clearly indicating that his eavesdropping had been unnoticed.

Kurapika sent all three men a deathly glare each and then headed towards the meeting area, as calmly as possible.

He could not believe that the Spiders had been planning to sell him alive. He recollected his thoughts for the past days and one by one they returned to his mind, clearing everything up. First, when his friends had been taken from as hostages, he thought that retrieving them alive is impossible and he had concluded that all four of them will not be able to get out of the Spiders' lair alive. The Genei Ryodan leader proved him wrong by letting his friends go, after a deal. Second, he thought that with his friends gone, the leader will surely kill him slowly or quickly, depending on his mood, but the man had kept him alive, destroying his second conclusion. Third, he thought that the Spiders were just eager to keep him alive because they will soon torture him, a slow death so that the gradual yet terrible pain will satisfy them. Again, he was proven wrong because Kuroro had ordered his subordinates not to lay a finger on him and even added that they should not attack him in whatever manner, not even with words. After that, he was left with no ideas on why the Spiders had kept him alive and well – of course, he had totally no idea of Kuroro's real skills so having the man to steal his abilities never hit him. That was until he heard the conversations of the three of them. And he was a lot more furious right now.

'This is the worst kind of indignation! Is that why he chose it for me?' Kurapika thought grudgingly. 'If he decided to kill me and my friends, then we might be together in the afterlife, is that why he did not pick that kind of death? If he had killed me quickly, then there would be no pain and no suffering on my part, of course, he would not want his mortal enemy to die as easily like that! And that lead me to think that maybe he wanted to torture me. Yes, a slow and painful death is the much desirable choice for someone like him to inflict, but he kept me alive, and why? Because he wanted to humiliate me! Because he wanted me to live the rest of my life suffering in the worst possible way! After killing everyone in my tribe, he wanted me to live in the humiliation of being something like a pet – to further trample upon the remaining pride of the Kuruta tribe! I despise you Kuroro Lucifer!'

"Kurapika, is there anything that is troubling you?" Kuroro asked as soon as he saw the blond boring a hole on the ground with his fiery stare.

"Obviously!" Kurapika yelled angrily at the Spider's leader.

"Hey you brat!" the samurai, Nobunaga, snapped at Kurapika. He was clearly furious that the boy is yelling at their leader.

"Nobunaga, let Kurapika speak", Kuroro intervened calmly, quite fascinated by the fact that the blond was now yelling at him – the leader of the Genei Ryodan, without any trace of fear in his eyes and in front of the rest of the Spiders.

"What the hell do you exactly plan to do with me?" he asked with voice calming down but eyes slowly turning from blue to red, passing slightly some shades of purple during the transition.

Kuroro saw the change in color of the boy's eyes. He could have blurted his appreciation of those now dazzling scarlet orbs out loud but he was fully aware of what his comrades and his little Kuruta might think. Kuroro could not help but stare at those beautiful sapphire orbs turning into amethysts then finally into rubies in a few moments. He was so engrossed at the sight that he did not realize that he was getting too close.

The other Spider members were now gaping at the two of them with their mouths open.

"Kuroro!" the boy screamed even louder. The scene had been scary for him. Just after his last word, the Spiders' leader took one step and another until they were almost nose to nose. He had flattened himself against the nearest wall but Kuroro was still leaning closer to him. The man's dark eyes were not blinking as they stare, with what he thinks is sheer curiosity and fascination, at his eyes. If that weird stare was not scary enough, well, he is now freaking out because the man's face is not even an inch away from his. His privacy bubble had never been invaded so much, even by his friends.

"Oh!" Kuroro exclaimed and retreated with one quick backward hop. "I was simply amazed with your eyes", he confessed.

Kurapika shivered for a moment and then composed himself before speaking again, hoping that his voice will not betray him. "What were you thinking?!" he screamed again, still in shock at Kuroro's previous act.

"I told you, I was just amazed with your eyes", Kuroro replied, smiling. "They were blue one moment and then red on the next, but in between the change, they looked somewhat purple for a millisecond at least."

Kurapika opened his mouth to argue but he could not find any words at the situation, instead he managed to say, while gritting his teeth, "It freaked me out you know."

"I don't bite, Kurapika", Kuroro said still smiling.

Bonorenof laughed. Everyone in the hall stared at the mummy-man. Shalnark even secretly considered recording his voice right now. He knew very well that they would not be hearing Bonorenof's voice for a long time again and he just thought that maybe the recording may be a useful reminder of how it sounds.

Kurapika's pale face was now a bit red. He scowled at Kuroro and sighed heavily before closing his eyes. As he opened them, they were back to their calm, blue state but still, he gazed at the Genei Ryodan leader with enough anger to shoot fire with his eyes.

"What do you plan to do with me?" Kurapika asked again, this time he was calmer but he looked away from the dark emotionless eyes of the leader. He was certain of everything that he had heard but he thought that he would never believe it unless Kuroro – the leader of the Spiders, told him.

"Why do you ask?" Kuroro questioned him, his smile faded.

"Because I think, of all the people here, I am the one with the right to know", Kurapika reasoned, his eyes still not meeting those of the leader.

"Let me remind you, red-eyed brat, that you are a simple prisoner here", the Egyptian man, Phinx, snapped at Kurapika. "You do not have any rights."

Kurapika sent him a death glare which the man took with equal amounts of shock, fear, fascination and irritation. "Why you-", the man was about to rush at the boy but he was stopped by the leader.

"Phinx…", Kuroro said, clearly ordering the other man to calm down. He was just a few feet away from the Kuruta because of the earlier incident, so he managed to reach out for the younger one's chin and turned Kurapika's face to him.

The blond boy was a bit surprised at the action, but he did not react as violently as he should have. He knew very well that swatting or shooing that hand away might cause a few problems again. However, his eyes seemed to reflect more than he wanted and they turned red as soon as their skins made contact.

"Why? Are you planning to sell me?" Kurapika asked, his voice was teeming with sarcasm.

Kuroro blinked once before deciding to be honest. "Yes Kurapika, I am planning to sell you", Kuroro said straightly, piercing the Kuruta's now scarlet eyes with his own.

"HOW DARE-", Kurapika bellowed, as he swatted the man's hand with his own but he was cut short by a strike at his stomach. He realized the Kuroro had hit him, and his consciousness was escaping him already. "-You…" he managed to continue as he struggled to stand. Unfortunately, the pain was overwhelming and his legs gave up already. Soon he felt his body falling towards the man in front of him. And no matter how hard he tried to at least change the direction of his fall, he had no chance against gravity and pain put together.

Kuroro sighed as soon as he delivered the exceptionally quick attack to the Kuruta. In a matter of seconds, Kurapika fell on him unconscious. He did not expect that the boy would find out about his plan that easy, but he also did not believe that anyone in the Ryodan would be telling the boy of his fate. Therefore, he concluded that the boy might have found out by logic or by chance. He must get away with this fast though, because Kuroro felt certain that the blond will wreak havoc to the other members of the Genei Ryodan as soon as he wakes up.

"Plans have changed", Kuroro announced as he lifted the blond to carry him to his room. "Shalnark contact our client. We shall deliver his order tonight."

Shalnark was a little bit surprised at the sudden announcement because he somewhat expected something else. He sent a quick 'What-was-that?' glance to Machi before getting his phone. Machi, on the other hand, simply shrugged and replied with an 'I-don't-know' kind of look.

'I thought he plans something else for the Kuruta', Machi thought to herself after replying to Shalnark. 'Looks like my intuitions are not perfect after all.' Afterwards, she recalled the small chat that she and a few other Spiders got into just last night.

Shalnark happened to think of the same memory, and last night's discourse replayed itself in his mind.

"What do you think will happen next?" Shizuku, the black-haired girl with glasses asked, as if the thought simply popped out of her mind.

"What do you mean by that?" Phinx replied with another question, clearly confused.

"Danchou looks weird", she then explained, attracting the attention of the other Ryodan present. "He even sounds weird."

"Look who's talking!" Phinx commented sarcastically.

"I agree with Shizuku", Machi said as she took a seat near the girl. "I think something's not quite right."

"Must be the Kuruta…" Shalnark speculated. He honestly thought that their Danchou is mentally all right, but there is something right there that does not seem to fit. And no one in their gang seemed to have an idea of what that 'something' is.

"I would have to remind you that none of your words makes even a tiniest bit of sense", Phinx said, sounding irritated as he squished an imaginary bug with his forefinger and his thumb in emphasizing the word 'tiniest'.

"I think Danchou will keep the boy", Franklin suddenly blurted out, shocking the hell out of Phinx since the huge 'Frankenstein-y' man seemed to pop just behind him.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?" Phinx yelled at Franklin at full force. The next moment, he realized that he was quite cunning to think of the only statement to reply on Franklin's popping-out-of-thin-air act, his conclusion that their Danchou will keep the blonde and of the fact that the man should not be here right now.

Shalnark hushed him instantly, fortunately, Phinx did not acquire Ubougin's deadly scream, or else he would have followed the giant in the afterlife. He flailed his arms while hissing warnings at the two arguing men beside him and as soon as they stopped, he decided to explain what they were talking about – for Phinx's benefit, of course.

Shizuku's blinks accompanied by Machi's occasional glares and rolling of eyes met his hissing attempts to silence Franklin and Phinx. It also announced the arrival of another contributor for the conversation – Nobunaga.

"What have we got here?" Nobunaga inquired sarcastically as he sat just in front of the girls. "A debate eh? Without inviting me? How's that?"

"Wait!" Phinx reacted suddenly, as if he remembered something terribly important. "If you two are here, then who's guarding the Kuruta?!"

"Our shift has ended. Feitan, Coltopi and Bonorenof took our place", Franklin answered. "You should not have left ten minutes early, you know…" he told Phinx who mentioned going to the comfort room and never returning to their post since their shift is almost over anyway. Instead, the man headed to the hall and alerted Feitan, Coltopi and Bonorenof of their turn to guard the boy.

"So, what's boiling here?" Nobunaga asked eager to enter the talk.

"They think Danchou will keep the brat", Phinx suddenly blurted. Franklin slapped his own forehead, while Shizuku buried her face with the book she was reading. Machi sighed heavily as Shalnark held his temple. Soon enough, Nobunaga finally realized what the statement meant.

"WHAT?!" he screamed.

All concerned Ryodan – that excludes Shizuku, held a finger in front of their mouths before hissing loudly. They were lucky because their Danchou was out for that night to who-knows-where, and the Kuruta had been fast asleep to a room well guarded by Feitan, Coltopi and Bonorenof. They could not risk their 'small talk' to be heard anyways.

Nobunaga lowered his voice into a silent growl, "What? How? And why?"

"I think," Shalnark started now sitting closer to the group which had unconsciously formed a small circle, as if they were playing cards. "I think Danchou will change his mind of selling the boy soon and well… he might decide to keep the Kuruta for himself."

"Why would Danchou do such a thing? That BRAT killed two of US" Nobunaga retorted pointing at the direction to which the blond boy might be sleeping right now in the abandoned wreck.

"That is why", Shizuku replied, her eyes not lifting away from the book. "Kurapika killed Ubo and indirectly killed Pakunoda, which qualifies him for Ubo's or Paku's place."

Nobunaga felt as if something tugged at his heart. He could not decide whether to draw his sword right now or not. But the heaviness he felt in his chest and the urge to kill the sleeping blond he had guarded earlier was too overwhelming. Fortunately, he managed to restrain his temper and he angrily glared at the girl instead. "You have a point…" he confessed in almost a murmur. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists then he spoke again, his voice a little louder, "If that happens, even if he becomes a member of our Brigade, I will still grab any chance that comes my way to kill HIM!"

Everyone fell silent for the moment, and then finally, Machi cut through the tension with her words. "No, I don't think that's it."

Shalnark shot a quick glance at her. Machi is looking at the ground; one hand is positioned at her chin, looking so much like when it was their Danchou who was thinking. "What do you have in mind?"

"There's something more than his ability… his charm perhaps?" Machi almost whispered the last three words; fortunately, everyone was still able to hear her.

"Charm? What are you talking about?" Nobunaga asked, his tears were gone but his temper was back.

"The Kuruta looks more of a pretty girl than a pretty boy to me and I mentioned that already when Danchou was around", Phinx spoke, he seemed drowned at his own thoughts too, before turning to Machi for confirmation. "Is that it Machi? Is that the charm? That the Kuruta looks somewhat 'attractive'?"

Shalnark opened his mouth, but he found no words in the situation. Instead, Franklin spoke for him, "Do you think that Danchou might actually be attracted to the boy?"

Nobunaga stood up this time, "Like THAT'S possible! You all knew Danchou!"

"It's just a hunch Nobunaga. MY hunch", Machi replied, emphasizing the importance of her hunches in the Ryodan. "But I do hope that I am, I mean, we are wrong…"

'I think you are Machi…' Shalnark thought, he sighed with relief before calling their client to set an appointment. 'Finally, the issue with the Chain-Guy will be at rest.'


	8. Real Deal

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **The leader of the Spiders, along with the Kuruta and a few members, went on to the promised deal. Kuroro had already sold Kurapika to the richest aristocrat of the state but feeling some sort of a terrible loss, Kuroro decided upon something.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **KuroKura fans, everything starts here. –grins wider than what everyone thought as physically possible-… OK, special thanks to Florallover, Naura Sakakibara, phppsmsss, Philistia, Elena Hitachiin and evryone who had been reading this from the very start.

P.S. Gooey stuff will be gradually increased as the Chapters come by! Heehee.

Off to the story!

**CHAPTER 8**

**REAL DEAL**

Kurapika woke up with a headache, he tried to feel for his forehead, but he realized that something tight prevented his arms from moving away from his sides, and judging by his position, he is neither on the ground nor in his bed. He recalled everything that had happened that morning, one by one. His last memory was that he was arguing with the leader of the Spiders then he passed out. He opened his eyes and saw a lot of fur. Fur?

"What the-?!" he blurted out.

"You're finally awake Kurapika", a familiar voice spoke.

It finally sank in. The fur that he saw was the fur lining Kuroro's coat. He was being carried by Kuroro – his upper body and waist on the back of the man while his lower body dangled helplessly at the front. And no matter how hard he kicked, the now visible Nen threads prevented him from causing any trouble more than the annoying wriggles. Kuroro, on the other hand, is currently leaping from one rooftop to another, accompanied by the rest of the Genei Ryodan.

"Shall I silence him again, Danchou?", Feitan asked, his eyes narrowing with sadistic glee as he stared upon the blond.

"No, that would not be necessary Feitan", Kuroro replied. "I believe that I can handle Kurapika on my own."

"Very well then", Feitan said, retreating back to his position in the formation, nasty grin still secretly present. "Suit yourself, Danchou."

Kurapika tried to struggle out of Kuroro's tight grasp. "Put me down!" he glowered, scarlet eyes flashed to Kuroro's face before staring downwards again. The sudden movement caused his slight headache to worsen.

"You'll get dizzy if you continue to look above to see my face, Kurapika", Kuroro replied, smirking at the statement.

"I never wished to see your face!"

"Then why do you even try to look?"

Kurapika opened his mouth to answer the man but he realized that Kuroro was simply playing around with him. He relaxed his stare until his eyes went back to their blue state before saying calmly, "I will not give you the pleasure of angering me again."

With that, Kuroro literally stopped at his tracks, surprising the other members behind him and nearly causing the inattentive Nobunaga to fall off the roof of the current building their stepping on. He did not know why, but the Kuruta's words seemed to hit him somewhere deep. He organized his thoughts quickly and then brought Kurapika down, letting the boy wriggle on the ground for freedom.

"Danchou?" Shalnark asked, quite confused at the current situation.

Kuroro stared blankly at Kurapika who was now struggling even harder, Nen threads cutting through his ivory skin. He could not let the boy wound himself terribly or their client would not be so happy. "Machi, release him", he ordered.

Nobunaga bellowed instantly, "DANCHOU!"

However, Machi had already released Kurapika who now sprang up and glared angrily at them. Surprisingly, the boy retained his sapphire blue eyes instead of glaring them to death with his legendary inheritance of bright ruby orbs. Phinx was shocked and voiced out his observation immediately.

"Hey where did your eyes go?" he asked quite stupidly, pointing at Kurapika's eyes. Machi contemplated deeply on whether to kick him or not. The rest of the Ryodan, who were now circling around their Danchou and the boy – to prevent the Kuruta from doing anything rash, decided to follow Machi's example if ever she executes it.

"Idiot! His eyes are there, just not properly tinted", Feitan snapped.

"You know what I mean!" Phinx retorted, clearing off everyone's thoughts that he is quite dumb tonight and sparing him another chance to prove himself not worthy of anyone's violent outbursts right now.

"Are you not angry?" Kuroro asked, his dark emotionless eyes now showing confusion brighter than Kurapika's scarlet eyes would ever glow.

"I told you, I would not give you the pleasure of angering me again", Kurapika stated calmly, his eyes meeting Kuroro's.

"This is bad. If he continues like that, we cannot sell him", Shizuku commented absentmindedly.

"Danchou, let me take care of getting his eyes red," Phinx suggested, smirking grimly. "It wouldn't take long…"

"No, I'll do it", Nobunaga suddenly stepped in, very much eager to slash someone's body open. "I've been waiting for this in a long time, Danchou. Just give me the order and I'll happily execute it", he said as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it threateningly to the Kuruta.

Kurapika on the other hand surrounded himself with his aura, preparing to defend himself. He knows that he stood no chance of winning against everyone of the Spiders but he will never die without taking at least one of them with him. His chains suddenly appeared on his right wrist as his aura whipped around his small frame defensively.

"Let me help you with that Nobunaga", Feitan sneered, as he posed for an attack, revealing his hands from his coat's pockets.

Kuroro ignored his subjects' bloodthirsty comments and instead, he decided to save the Kuruta's neck. After all, he hated pure artifacts to be ruined and right now, the boy is as pure as an artifact can be – injuring him could be unacceptable.

"Kurapika, I do not want to force you", Kuroro said apologetically, and cutting everyone's current line of thought about torturing the blond to submission. "You know very well that you have to obey my orders or else, right?"

The three more aggressive Genei Ryodan members who had offered their services of torturing the Kuruta was shocked at their Danchou's words. But the look that the man gave them was enough to silence them for the whole night. It was the look they never see him gave any of them.

Kuroro Lucifer, the leader of the Genei Ryodan, had just warned them and disobedience can cost their lives.

Fortunately, the look lasted less than a second and none of the others noticed it. All three stepped back fearing that their raven-haired leader might actually do as he told them with his eyes. Knowing the extent of their leader's abilities, they knew it is not impossible and they still wanted to keep their lives. Therefore, all decided to stay on the safe side for the time being and resorted on keeping the event toi themselves.

Kurapika gritted his teeth but said nothing else. He realized Kuroro's point. Of course, Kuroro could easily order him to keep his eyes red, and if that happens, once he lost control – even it is a mere millisecond and his eyes' color wavers even on the slightest of not being red, then his chains on Killua's heart will activate and kill the Zoldyck kid immediately. He wished to argue, to be able to say anything, but he decided otherwise. Instead, lowered his stare to the ground and hissed unrecognizable words. He sighed heavily then to everyone's amazement, instead of retorting or yelling, the boy calmly replied, "What do you want?"

"Nothing much, you just have to be a good boy and act like a helpless hostage", Kuroro explained smiling, then ruffling Kurapika's blond hair.

Kurapika flinched at the man's touch but resigned totally. He let Machi wrap the Nen threads around him again and he allowed Kuroro to carry him the way the man did a few moments ago. If only Killua's life was not on the line right now, he would rather die attacking Kuroro than live being carried around by that man like this.

"Almost there!" Shalnark piped up enthusiastically, pointing at a distance.

All of them leaped magnificently from the top of the building onto the rooftop of yet another, heading to the direction that Shalnark just pointed out. No one spoke another word until they reached a dark and abandoned alley which is adjacent to the busy streets of the city. They continued to walk, taking the darkest, dampest, quietest route possible.

The whole of the Genei Ryodan stopped just a block short from the target building. Everyone stared at Kuroro, except Kurapika, and waited for their orders. Of course, their Danchou had already instructed them back in their headquarters but this restatement of orders were purposed to refresh their memories and to make sure that they understood everything before the mission itself takes place.

"Shalnark, Machi, the two of you will come with me inside to meet the client", Kuroro started, still carrying Kurapika on his right shoulder. Amazingly, the Kuruta did not seem to struggle anymore. "If anything goes wrong, Shalnark will inform the rest of you. Feitan, Phinx and Nobunaga, your job is to kill everyone in the building when you receive Shalnark's instructions. In the meantime, the three of you should stay here and keep your stealth. Franklin, Bonorenof, Coltopi and Shizuku, you four shall stay near the vicinity, preferably in a moving vehicle and stand guard. After Shalnark's call, eliminate all signs of reinforcements. Our main goal is to deliver this boy inside safely, gain the billions and then head out as unnoticed as possible. Understood?"

The Spiders all showed their different signs of agreement. Moments later, Shalnark, Machi and Kuroro along with Kurapika leaped to yet another rooftop. Kuroro decided that the act is necessary to evade unwanted attention for carrying a seemingly helpless youngster around. The other members, on the other hand, went to their respective groups and disappeared among the different crowds of ordinary people.

It was not long before Kuroro and his team reached the target building. They landed on the rooftop of a fifty-storey edifice and without further ado, they headed inside. The client mentioned earlier that day during Shalnark's call that he would be in the topmost floor so the idea of travelling by roof had been very purposive.

None of the four spoke another word until they reached the corridor which will lead them to their client. Two really huge-bodied guards in tuxedos stood in front of a mahogany door on one end of the corridor. Both of them had no guns, instead, as Kuroro thought of, the two guards were both Nen-users, unfortunately, none of them possessed enough power to scratch any member of the Ryodan.

"Eight more inside", Machi whispered. "It's really pathetic. Are they insulting us?" She was talking about other bodyguards behind the mahogany doors and all of them were Nen-users. None they could not handle, of course.

"I think the man is quite paranoid about this", Shalnark said, chuckling.

Kuroro and Kurapika remained silent as Machi criticized the guards while Shalnark calmed her down. Kuroro was still confused by now and his thoughts were drifting from the present, into the scene of last week's fight against the Kuruta. He had not forgotten how the boy's eyes looked like – beautiful rubies set against ivory, and the aura that surrounds his slender, fragile frame – the frightening aura that contained enough potential to match his own.

A huge debate against himself erupted inside Kuroro's head. One part of him – the Danchou of Genei Ryodan side, nearly screamed with refusal once the thought of Kurapika's scarlet eyes and Spider potential entered his brain. However, another side, the unknown one which must have popped out of thin air just a few days ago, was pleading him silently to keep the boy. He became curious with that unknown side of his mind that he constantly prodded it with questions during his free time alone these past days. He usually asks the question, 'Why should I keep him?' or 'What can he be thinking right now?' On the latter question, he could only guess, but he certainly enjoyed being clueless of the boy's emotions and thoughts especially when the youngster's eyes suddenly flash red, when he suddenly comments intellectually like one well-educated aristocrat, and even on simply staring at the young one's angelic features – which ranges from heavenly beauty to deathly coldness. On the first question, however, he could not sum up enough answer to justify his unknown side's wish.

'We certainly need at three or at least two more people right now', he thought to himself. 'After Ubo and Paku's deaths, we have been two limbs short. Not to mention that Hisoka was nowhere to be found right now. He quitted on the spot, when my Nen had been sealed and disappeared after we fought, but I wonder if ever he will want to come back. Being in this state, I cannot turn him down once he returned to us. After all, his abilities proved to be a really good addition to our offensive. Now, how about you, Kuruta?'

'His Holy Chain would definitely be very functional when someone gets injured and needs immediate attention, minus Machi's unbelievable prices. That Dowsing Chain of his would be very useful for us too, that is in terms of searching for artifacts and people. And since he had already changed the conditions of his Nen, anyone who would want to live longer would definitely subject to his every whim. Obtaining information by torture would not have been needed if Paku is still alive, but since she's gone we had to resort in Feitan and Phinx's barbaric methods of extracting information from unwilling sources. Such process is very long and quite boring since a few tough ones would not crack until the last moment. But given that wonderful Judgment Chain of his, anyone tough or not would think twice before disobeying his conditions. His wit should not be underestimated too. The fact that he had been successful in capturing me back in York Shin with that ingenious plan of his was a big proof of that. Furthermore, I cannot underestimate his offensive power. If he was very much able to take down and kill Ubogin by himself, then, he must be really good. Regarding his thin frame and nearly feminine built, I bet that he resorted to speed and cunning more than physical strength lest he would not have won. His incredible ability to utilize every Nen-type with a hundred percent efficiency and accuracy would be another great thing too if we can turn him into one of us. …'

'Very useful indeed', Kuroro thought to himself. 'Too bad you are too valuable Kuruta. The offer is just too irresistible.'

"We came to deliver the boy", Kuroro said to the two guards who were now towering in front of him.

"Is he the one?" the bald one asked.

"Yes, his tribal attire can attest to that", Kuroro replied. "As for his eyes, I request a personal appointment with our client before we confirm them to him."

"Very well", the bald one said. He muttered a few quick words on a phone that his companion gave him and then choked at the message received from the other line. The bald man turned very pale while listening and choked at his own reply which consisted mainly of 'Yes Sir' and 'I understand'. He coughed a couple of times as he handed back the phone to his now confused colleague, before facing Kuroro and saying, while still pale and trembling, a faint "Come in."

Kuroro, still carrying the silent but seething Kurapika, went inside first, followed by Shalnark and Machi on either side. The room, aside from the gold linings everywhere, was very bare. There had been nothing more inside except for the nine men and the plain glass window that goes from the carpeted floor to the ceiling just across from where Kuroro stands. Their client, a man who looks to be not over fifty, was sitting calmly on a noticeably expensive armchair. Eight men, all in tuxedos, lined up as four on either side of him. The man had one of his hands on his chin while another was holding a glass of first class red wine.

"I never expected to see you face to face Kuroro Lucifer", the client said smiling.

With the name, all of the eight huge men inside either bit their lower lip or turned in a variety of colors. One thing common about everyone would be that they all trembled a little at the sound of the name.

"Here is the boy", Kuroro said, the businessman-Danchou prominent on his voice. He gently laid Kurapika on the carpeted boy, before ordering Machi to free him of the Nen-threads. "Machi, release him."

Machi did as she was told without a single word. The next second, the blonde felt full control over his body once again. Angry yet composed, he decided never to show those organic rubies that he possesses to the client – no matter what they planned to do with him, even until death.

"Ah!" the client exclaimed, scrutinizing the now standing Kurapika like a polished gem or a rare doll of some sort. "This one is a very beautiful specimen indeed. Refined beauty, angelic features, slender built… Even the design of the fabric is authentically Kuruta!" The man rubbed his free hand on his chin and eyed the blond with interest; the man's eyes did not miss the boy's earring. "I should add a lot more for such a complete package."

Kurapika looked away from everyone in the room. What he feels was a combination of hatred, disgust, fear, shame, and sorrow. The only thing he can do now is to keep his eyes from turning red. That would be the last and the least favor that he can give to his tribe. He will stand up to this humiliation of being treated like some kind of exotic beast and being sold like he was a mere object, but no one should go any further. He will never let them see his red eyes.

"Now, my little Kuruta, let me see your clan's treasure", the client spoke, standing up and closing in on him. Kurapika hopped backwards and positioned himself in a fighting stance, prepared to kill at that moment. "I see. This is a rather feisty one eh? That would not be a problem, perhaps even better since I really liked fierce young ladies like you."

Kuroro blinked and hid a possibly enormous grin while Shalnark restrained himself from laughing. Machi slapped her forehead at the statement. She was equally embarrassed for the Kuruta.

Kurapika saw the predatory look at the old man's face while the man uttered the words and he could not hold himself back anymore. Feeling threatened and humiliated, he bellowed, "I AM NOT A FEMALE!" The sapphire gleam of his eyes shifted immediately to red. Blood-red.

Something tugged inside Kuroro's chest at the side of the boy's flaming red eyes. Deeply, way too deep, he really, really wished to keep the blond, it was only this stupid Danchou-persona of him that says 'NO WAY!'

"Perfect…" the old man muttered as he witnessed the transformation of the boy's eyes. "Those beautiful eyes are perfect. They are the brightest pair I've ever seen. Not to mention that your face alone will fetch a high price, my dear."

Kurapika hissed and uttered an extremely long line of varying curses under his breath for being so stupid as to fall for the old man's trap. Now they know what can trigger his red eyes state. 'Kurapika! How can you be so stupid?!'

He was about to summon his chains when Kuroro spoke of his name calmly. "Kurapika, I do not think attacking will be the best idea right now – for you and for the life of your friend."

Kurapika glared angrily at Kuroro before calming down again, his red eyes returning to their blue state.

"I can say now that the boy is a true Kuruta", the client said to Kuroro happily. He eyed the Kuruta who remained on his fighting stance, from the corner of his eyes and then flicked his fingers. "Since you have pleased me very much for bringing me a very beautiful specimen, I shall add five billion more to our agreed price."

'Add five billion?' Kurapika thought, very much disturbed. 'Exactly how much did that son of the devil, Kuroro, sell me for anyway?'

"Thirty billion then", Kuroro replied still emotionless. Two of the guards handed him two black suitcases and a smaller bag. Clearly, this was the money.

'Thirty billion? Is he crazy?' Kurapika exclaimed at his mind, his jaw nearly dropping. 'This stupid man paid thirty billion to buy me?'

Kuroro passed the suitcases and the bags to his companions who checked them quickly. Then he spoke again, "Let me tell you, that this boy is very well capable of killing every single one of your men in this room and the two outside with his bare hands."

The client was shocked, "What?!"

"He may seem frail but I can assure you that the youngster is a very good fighter and your men here would not stand a chance against him even if they all attacked simultaneously. You should never underestimate him."

Gulps were heard but there were no words exchanged.

"I shall handle it for you", Kuroro added, slightly feeling that somehow he may regret this in the future, but continued anyway. He turned to Kurapika instantly and the boy, sensing what was going to happen mouthed quite clearly, 'I hope you burn in hell!'

"Kurapika, come here", he said. The boy, feeling that this is an order he should take seriously for the sake of a certain silver-haired friend's life, walked silently closer. "You must not escape from the Duke of Reinfield. And, you must not attack him or his men. Those are my orders. Please do your best to obey them, OK? You know what will happen if you don't, right Kurapika?"

The boy nodded once as he cursed the man silently. Now he could do nothing else but await the day that this miserable life of his would finally end, in the hands of that pervert Duke. At least, he can be sure that his Zoldyck friend can finally move freely again after – without his Judgment Chain stuck on the former assassin's heart.

"We are leaving now. Until we meet again", Kuroro told the Duke, formally. He glanced once at the Kuruta who seemed to be halfway through deciding whether to launch himself into a killing rampage or to cry. He lingered his stare for a few more moments to embed the boy's delicate features in his mind, since this may be the last time that he will see such a precious beauty. He sighed, with a small ache which can be considered as disappointment, and then turned, followed by Shalnark and Machi who carried the bags. The three of them headed back to the rooftop.

As the door closed and the Spiders left him, Kurapika felt even lonelier. He could not deny the fact that he loathed the Spiders with every component of his being but, right now, he feels as if another chunk of his life had been taken away from him. Like an empty shell; like a body with its soul taken away from it. He felt like this after the death of his clan and the night that the Genei Ryodan kidnapped his friends. He never knew that even though his most hated creatures were the ones who abandoned him now, he felt the same amount of emptiness attempting to engulf him. He felt right now that living does not matter anymore, because he had nothing else and no one else left to live for.

"Danchou?" Shalnark called the man.

"Hmm?" Kuroro snapped back to reality, his mind was snagged back to the present by Shalnark's voice. "What is it Shalnark?"

"Are you OK?" Shalnark hesitated but asked anyway. "You look… well… not OK. And everyone's worried."

"Well, I suppose that I am physically all right", Kuroro replied vaguely. Actually, he did not seem to know himself anymore these past few days. He was usually out of his normal 'Danchou-ness' and was always deep in his thoughts. He thought of thoughts that involved someone outside their missions – someone with soft golden hair, ivory skin, and sapphires which turn into rubies for eyes. But he should not! Of all people, he was the last one who should be thinking of that boy. The Ryodan barely got away from the fearsome red-eyed avenger and with a huge amount of money to add to their pockets – no one, should ask for more… especially him.

He endlessly denies the tiny voice inside his mind that keeps on nagging him to return to the Duke of Reinfield and retrieve the Kuruta. He kept on kicking away that tiny voice, but every time he relaxes, the voice comes back – with a vengeance.

'He is the last Kuruta alive. YOU know more than selling that young man as a pet of that pervert aristocrat!' the tiny voice said. 'Are you not worried about him for even a bit?'

'No', his Danchou side replied coldly. He decided to point out that Kuroro Lucifer did not, does not and will not care about a person especially when that person is not a Spider.

'Suppose that it is true, then why do you keep on visiting the room he occupied in this damned building when no one else is around?', the tiny alien voice asked, sarcasm present in every angle.

'I don't know', the Danchou side said, emotionless. He could not help but agree with this one better. After all, it is the real him and the tiny voice was just another pestering thought that had lingered in his mind a lot longer than necessary.

'Have you even considered of his potential?'

'Yes', his Danchou persona replied. 'That's why I wanted him as far as I can. He is too dangerous.'

Again, his Genei-Ryodan-leader voice was correct. The boy had huge potential, and for his only budding abilities in Nen, he can easily be shaped, molded, into the wanted form. But the boy was just too moral and too proud that he will stick to his vow of vengeance no matter what – and that gives the Spiders a huge trouble on their part. With that Kuruta trailing behind them, once he trained hard enough, the boy can cripple them. He, as the leader on the other hand, should not let that happen. Therefore, a chance that had presented itself with a bonus of cold cash would be the most rational answer to all of their dilemmas.

'But he could be useful.'

'Not when every now and then he continues to plot for my demise.'

Surely, even when he got the boy to obey his every will, he could not feel safe. Never as a matter of fact. Since whenever he turns his back he could sense the boy's aura rising boundlessly behind him, as if readying itself to kill him, with or without the owner's will. And that is a big problem. As long as the boy is near him, he could never let his guard down. Who knows when the kid would suddenly lose control and attack him unconsciously? Hate could be enough to drown all of his concern for his friends. It is such a great risk, just by being with the young Kuruta. He should not be confident as long as that hate is present. And thinking about it now, it seems like the boy's hate will remain for eternity…

'You can remove his hate', the unknown voice said, interrupting his musings and shocking him.

'How?' his real self asked, surprised at the possibility.

'Tell him!' the voice replied immediately.

'Tell him what?'

'The truth…'

"Are you still with us, Danchou?" Nobunaga blurted out after noticing that Kuroro had slipped out of reality again.

"Physically, yes", Shalnark answered Nobunaga, quite frustrated that their Danchou was acting like that ever since their last mission. For the last few weeks he had been racking his brains out and squeezing them for answers on why and how their very serious leader had turned into what he is right now. It is true that their leader always wanted to be by himself and would only meet with them during urgent meetings or planning for a mission or two, but he never presented this thoughtful side of him as blatantly as before. Everyone in the Genei Ryodan views their Danchou as a wise and extremely cautious man – always thinking tons of times before leaping. Yet the act of the man literally thinking at matters that are not even known to them or might not even concern them is extremely bizarre.

He recalled every significant event that had taken place for the past few weeks but none of them looks interesting enough to launch their leader into what seems like an eternal soliloquy. Everything had been in order and every matter had been dealt with, meeting all of the Genei Ryodan standards, as far as everyone is concerned. He replayed every important scene in his mind again, nevertheless, just to check if he had missed anything that could have troubled their Danchou.

After a few long moments, he could not think of anything that does not fit. There was nothing out of the ordinary; they raided a mansion just the previous night to obtain a painting, an important jewel and everything else that they deem worthy of a good market-price – killing everyone on their way. The week before that, he was ordered to do research about the mansion and its security features, just about the same time when the man ordered two of his comrades to spy on the area. There was totally nothing wrong with that. That is the usual routine; spy, get information, attack, and then leave.

Shalnark really felt the urge to go deeper so he recalled further. Before the mentioned mission they were free to wander in small groups for a few days because they had only left a country where another mission took place. That last mission earned them good money and it took them not much effort.

Shalnark narrowed his eyes in suspicion with his own thought. 'That' mission was too easy… Technically speaking, it is quite difficult when they have to catch two seriously dangerous kids that were supposed to be the bait, but after that, everything had gone off smoothly. The older man was quite easy to trick and the main target – the Kuruta, was all too willing to give himself to them for his friends' sake. Afterwards, they only have to 'take care' or more likely 'guard and tolerate' the blond until their client calls to obtain him. But there was a small, almost unnoticeable, bump in the ride. When he noticed it, he could not believe its possibility, so he pushed it away from his mind.

Everything became clearer to him right now.

When they finally got the young Kuruta, their leader was so curious about the boy that he spent all day with the kid – drawing from the younger one, answers and opinions or whatever he might like at the moment. He certainly looks fascinated at the blond's bright ideas, stubbornness, sickening righteousness, but most importantly, the man was very much attracted at the boy's eyes.

He did not see that at first, but right now, thinking about it makes it more possible by the second.

Six years ago, their leader ordered the massacre of the Kuruta tribe because he wanted the eyes. It was not a secret that a single pair could fetch billions at the market so everyone, including him, concluded that the leader wanted the eyes for business. It was not until they got hold of them that he noticed, that their leader really liked the eyes – and that is all to it. The man would spend hours and hours simply staring at the bright scarlet eyeballs, appreciating them and nothing more. However, he destroyed his hypothesis immediately when in a few months, their Danchou decided to sell the orbs, pair by pair in the underground market.

Could it be possible that their leader retained the same attraction for the organic rubies that he had years ago, and had manifested itself just a few weeks ago when they got hold of the last living Kuruta – the one who obtains the brightest, most appealing red glow in his eyes among the rest of his tribe?

'No, it is impossible', Shalnark thought, closing his eyes and thinking more clearly. He believed in the event's impossibility, but just seeing their leader back then, when he stares at their prisoner with the brightness of his eyes usually reserved only for the most precious of the treasures that they had successfully obtained…

'It is possible', he finally yielded. Their Danchou is currently 'grieving' in his very own way, upon the loss of the Kuruta. He had admitted that the boy's eyes were indeed enticing to look at – no matter how scary they may seem at some times, especially when one thinks that they could not get any redder but they actually could. And he had also accepted the fact that their Danchou probably thought that the boy's loss is comparable to the ruin of a priceless piece of artifact. But what he cannot understand right now is the irrational and somewhat overreaction of their leader towards this loss. He even remembered catching the man inside their former prisoner's empty room, brooding to himself, looking so much like a movie actor's portrayal of a heartbroken moron…

'Heartbroken moron?!' Shalnark's brain halted for a moment then resumed with thrice the speed. A moment later, he was grinning widely – proud that he finally have very rational yet almost improbable answers, yet wishing that he was wrong all the way, at the same time, very much eager to help.

"Danchou, I got it!" Shalnark nearly screamed. Almost instantaneously, every member of the Genei Ryodan present there gathered on a small circle to listen. However, Shalnark begged to Kuroro that they should speak alone. The man, with not much choice, agreed.

Shalnark decided to talk outside, to the busiest local restaurant. He insisted upon the place so that the noise from other conversations can hopefully drown curses, swears, threats, taunts, and other foul words plus screams of disbelief, that may come from the man. Although, Kuroro raised an eyebrow about the foul language since he rarely even raises his voice, nevertheless, he heeded and soon, they were sitting and ordering coffee.

"OK!" Shalnark said enthusiastically, his eyes gleaming brightly. "So, what do you want to know, Danchou?"

Kuroro was definitely confused but replied anyway, "What got into your mind back in the headquarters earlier that lead you into dragging me here?"

Shalnark grinned widely again which Kuroro regarded as a mischievous one, before answering. "I know exactly why you're acting weird."

Kuroro's attention jerked from boredom into alertness, he can sense one of Shalnark's naughty tricks showing up on the surface. "And exactly why am I acting weird?"

"You miss Kurapika!"

The first two words did not sink in but the last word made an impact since it was the name of the bastard that keeps getting in his subconscious… "WHAT?!" Kuroro blurted, nearly yelling. Fortunately, as Shalnark predicted, other conversations drowned his half-yell. "Elaborate."

"Where is he going?" Machi asked, worry was evident in her face. She was the first one to ask as soon as she saw that Shalnark returned to their hideout without their Danchou.

"He had to make an important appointment", Shalnark replied, holding one finger high. He was prepared of this so as much as possible, he hid a really huge smug that attempted to invade his face; instead, he composed himself to look neutral.

"And did he leave any messages?" Phinx asked, quite sure that their Danchou would at least leave them with some instructions.

"Yep. Except from the common note that he will call me soon to alert every one, I will repeat his exact orders… er, order, I mean", Shalnark answered, he grinned his normal grin. He smiled even wider before relaying the message that came from their Danchou for his comrades, "Disperse."


	9. Rubies Encased in Ivory and Gold

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Kuroro left the Genei Ryodan for the meanwhile to return to the Duke of Reinfield and retrieve a very precious living artifact.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors. Kuroro is sooooooooo OOC in this chapter *again*…

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **This chapter is quite long (actually, this is the start of the 'longer' chapters). But, to those who are waiting for interaction, well, I guess this is the most 'interactive' chapter for our pair so far. Please forgive me for putting a nonsense Kurapika-is-mistaken-as-a-girl-again scene, because someone suggested it and I could not help myself! Ahaha… This will be one weird chapter but anyway…

I would also want to share my appreciation to those who kept on reviewing and mailing me for suggestions and other simple stuff – Florallover, Naura Sakakibara, Philistia, Elena Hitachiin, Kurapika Kuroro (hey! Your username fits the story XD!) and phppsmsss. Actually, I was amazed because some people added this fic to their favorite stories lists and things like that. I honestly did not expect any of those but I really REALLY am grateful to those people. Really, I'll hug you in the spot when I see you! (wait, does this sound more of a threat than a treat? Ahaha). Anyway, I hope I had not broken any of the promises that I had made especially the one that said that I will reply to each and every message that you sent to me. Please review and do not be shy to voice out your comments and suggestions.

And to phppsmsss, I realized your point! Ahaha, thanks for enlightening me. This time, I will definitely clear out the transitions. I cannot reply to you because I saw no link (?) so I used this chapter to communicate haha!

Enough said… Off to the story! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 9**

**RUBIES ENCASED IN IVORY AND GOLD**

Kuroro could not believe what the hell he was doing to himself right now. He was currently seated in an airship travelling back to the country that he and his subjects had left only a few weeks ago after delivering a very precious cargo.

oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxox

"You miss Kurapika!" Shalnark's voice echoed endlessly in his head as soon as he heard it – especially the last word, which was the name of the kid who he could not help but think about.

"WHAT?!" he asked, or rather yelled, almost losing composure and in the verge of standing from his seat at the restaurant. Fortunately, as the brown-haired man expected, no one bothered to look back at them because the noise that he created was easily drowned by the conversations. He was somewhat grateful that his comrade decided upon this place. "Elaborate", he said immediately even before the other was able to give him a look that will most valiantly declare a triumphant 'I-told-you-so'.

"Well," Shalnark started, clearing his throat with a slight cough. "You act so different ever since he left… I mean, ever since we left him there – with Duke Reinfield."

"I am currently planning for our next mission Shalnark. And it is quite delicate", he replied calmly after faking a huge sigh. He was glad to have been able to devise such an acceptable alibi in an instant.

"No, I don't think you are planning about anything when you act different, Danchou", Shalnark answered back, still grinning widely. He was so sure that their Danchou is going to deny everything, but he is very much prepared about it. "When you devise plans you don't stare at nothingness especially during our meetings", he added.

Kuroro sank down to his own thoughts again, but this time, it was not about the dratted boy. He was thinking about himself now. He was sure that he had been acting a bit weird for the last days but he is not sure why. He recalled back to when he left the Kuruta back to the Duke of Reinfield. He was a bit disappointed with himself at first, because he gave up the last living Kuruta to the hands of an incredibly perverse aristocrat, but soon, he convinced himself that this is all for the Spiders to gain. After all, the Kuruta seems to be the only living threat to their existence so silencing him like that would be all for the better. Moreover, they earned thirty billion when they sold the Kuruta and that amount is serious. They were able to kill two birds with a single stone.

"I'm not sure, so I took you here to ask you", Shalnark continued after seeing that the Genei Ryodan leader is serious with his thoughts.

"What do you want to ask me?" Kuroro asked. He was more than confused right now. It was clear that he was the one here who had no idea of what is happening and that Shalnark took him here to explain things but it seems that he was the one to be asked.

"What exactly do you feel right now?" Shalnark inquired, his childlike grin had evaporated away from his face and was now replaced by a serious look, demanding of exact answers.

"Honestly, I am confused Shalnark", Kuroro answered. He meant the statement as the answer to the other man's question and as a declaration that nothing makes sense right now.

Fortunately, Shalnark was able to grasp the meaning of Kuroro's answer and he asked again. This time, he intended to be more specific. "What did you feel when the kid left?", he inquired, eyes shining mischieviously.

Kuroro thought deeply for a moment, recalling what he felt when he studied the Kuruta's countenance for the last time before leaving him in front of the Duke. Back then, he felt as if he lost something terribly important and he felt somewhat guilty for it. But when he was back at their hideout, he felt a huge positive feeling swelling inside his chest – the feeling of great relief. He decided first to mention only the last of his thoughts, that he was relieved when they were finally able to get rid of the Kuruta. But knowing Shalnark, and the possibility of the other helping him out of his current predicament when he argues with his own thoughts, he decided to be honest.

"When I was closing the door behind me, I saw him looking back at me with his eyes full of what can be acceptably called as sadness", Kuroro started. "I was sure of it because that look was the one he usually wears when he thinks that I cannot see him anymore. He usually seems angry whenever I talk with him every morning during his breakfast and every time other than that. But as soon as I started to leave, just before I close the door, I see him sink down to his own true self – a young kid filled with grief. He is not a man nor is he a ruthless murderer as he thought himself to be when he tried to hunt us down. He is just a boy that was torn between the longing of being a kid and the feeling of eternal hatred strengthened by the thirst for vengeance. "

Shalnark believed it even before he saw it. Back in their hideout, he knew something was not quite right about their leader, especially after it sank to every one of them that there was no more Kuruta to look after. Their Danchou would always be with himself, as he did way back then, but now, his usually stoic face shows little signs of sadness. Although not very visible at first, the fact that he was always lost in his thoughts and sighing on his own was, nevertheless, evidences of such emotion. He would not have concluded about anything more and would have simply thought that their leader is busying himself with a complicated mission, but once, he caught the man visiting the room that was formerly occupied by their prisoner. It was not what one could call a formal visit, but their leader took his time to go inside and stared at the empty bed for a considerably long time. He was so engrossed with his musings that he never felt Shalnark was within the same room as him if only the other man had not voiced out that everyone was waiting for the leader downstairs.

'Danchou is having emotional problems – serious ones.'

"Do not get me wrong, I do not feel pity for him", Kuroro continued, feeling that his answer only made things more complicated but continuing nevertheless. "He is not someone to be pitied as he can easily handle himself by his own. After all, he had survived for six years of being alone in this world; being the last Kuruta that every rich nobleman wanted to get his dirty hands on, but he was able to survive and become a hunter in his very own right. Also, someone who was capable enough to kill two Genei Ryodan members and bind its leader from using Nen is a person not worthy to be pitied but rather admired."

"What is it then, Danchou?" Shalnark pushed at the subject patiently, trying to squeeze out from their leader what he, the head of the Spiders himself, cannot understand. "If it is not pity, then what is it?"

Kuroro thought of the answer but found no words for it. The feeling, that had engulfed him after a few days of rejoicing, that there would be no more red-eyed brat plotting and scheming for their destruction, is alien to him. He first thought of it as guilt but then he concluded that there is totally nothing to be guilty about since everything he did had been just, according to Genei Ryodan standards. Moreover, he believes that he is incapable of feeling guilt since everything had been done for the betterment of everyone involved, except of the blond of course, then again, that certain blond is an enemy and should not be given any concern.

"Honestly, I do not know", Kuroro finally answered.

"Danchou, do you feel sad?" Shalnark asked, definitely determined to push the subject.

The Spider's leader blinked in surprise with the question then considered it deeply. 'Sad?' he thought. 'No, that could be it, but it is way too vague…' He finally decided to answer, "No, that's not it."

Shalnark, thought for a moment to refine his words. He knew that he is somewhat getting closer to the answer but to know it, he must use the correct term. A thought flashed itself into his mind and he considered it. "Do you feel that something is missing right now?" he asked seriously.

'Something…' Kuroro repeated to himself. He stared at the other man's face blankly and repeated the question to himself over and over again. 'Something is missing.' He asked himself of what could have been missing and he felt quite sure that everything happening right now to him can be rooted to that missing 'something'. The only problem is that he does not have any idea of what had been missing.

"Yes", he replied seriously after an exasperated sigh. "I can feely that something is missing, but I cannot recall what."

"Maybe it is someone and not something", Shalnark said immediately even before their Danchou could launch himself into a full blown soliloquy again.

"Someone…" Kuroro repeated.

His eyes widened for a moment and he felt his heart skipped a beat with surprise. He then eyed Shalnark suspiciously before sighing and composing himself again. He was caught.

Shalnark grinned knowingly at him. After a few moments of silence, the young man revealed a small piece of paper from his pocket. There was an address written neatly on it. He was still unaware of what the other man planned to do with that paper and of what was the connection of that piece of paper to their conversation when his subject spoke.

"This is the exact address of the Duke of Reinfield's main manor", Shalnark started, receiving a wide-eyed look of surprise as a reply. "Danchou, I don't know what you really want, but I think, this will help you."

As he expected, when he laid the piece of paper to the Spiders' leader, the man took it without any questions. He grinned at the action and very much happy that after finishing whatever he is planning, the real Danchou would return to them, however, he will bring along a very unhappy kid.

"I will call you as soon as possible", Kuroro said as he rose from his seat to head – most probably, to the address written on the sheet of paper. He had already turned his back towards his subject to walk out of the restaurant after leaving the bill but he was held by another question.

"Any orders for the rest of us?", Shalnark asked smiling widely at him.

He turned around with his common emotionless look and said in his own very Genei-Ryodan-leader-like manner, "Disperse."

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Kuroro sighed at himself for the thousandth time. He saw, by the window of the airship, that the ship was probably landing already. He took out the piece of paper from one of his coat's pockets and read it again. He did not really know what made him go to this place right now, but he knew one thing for sure, that as soon as he got hold of their former prisoner, then he would have absolute answers to his questions.

He walked out of the airport hurriedly to find the address. Although he had been to the country before – when they delivered the Kuruta to their client, he had never been to anywhere other than the designated place of meeting. It was Shalnark who had researched about the whole area and speaking about the other man, he believed that his loyal subject had done him more than enough after giving him that piece of paper.

Heading towards the nearest map of the city he was in, he easily realized that the address was not to be found in that city but upon the next town. He studied the huge map quickly and searched for the fastest possible route to reach the said town where the manor was located. Fortunately, he already changed his usual Genei Ryodan Danchou attire into something more normal, even before he boarded the airship. He is wearing a very casual black long-sleeved button-up shirt with a matching black coat and black denim trousers. With his hair down and the cross carefully bandaged to be out of everyone's sight, together with such very common attire, he could easily blend in any crowd as a normal handsome bachelor.

Kuroro sighed heavily as he sat down inside the train's compartment. He thought again of what he made him go through all this trouble just for the sake of a certain kid who longed for nothing else more than his complete destruction. However, he was kept off of his musings when he heard two girls giggling on the corridors and heading to his compartment's direction.

'Great', he thought sarcastically. 'This will be a long ride.'

He took out a book from one of his coat's pockets and proceeded upon reading it. He was not actually reading, he just put up the book to his face to make the incoming girls think that he is really busy reading and keep themselves from bothering him. When all the while, his thought raced from the blond kid that he is about to rescue and what will he do to the possibly angered Duke afterwards.

'Go to the manor, get Kurapika, and get out.' That became his plan – simple yet very reasonable. He only had to avoid any possible encounters and kill anyone who sees him during the process of retrieval. The Duke does not have to know about anything. And that only leaves him with one problem at the moment.

"Kurapika", he muttered to himself then narrowed his eyes as he thought of the possible reactions, arguments and protests that the kid may shoot towards him. However as soon as the soft whisper escaped his mouth, he heard a set of giggles erupting across the compartment towards him. The two girls had finally entered and were blushing furiously as he eyed them with surprise. He immediately realized what was happening so without looking, he smiled amiably at them – which brought him to a memory that shows the Kuruta's expression when he gave the boy the similar smile.

He felt his amiable smile breaking right now into a huge grin at the memory. Fortunately, he managed to keep the smile as friendly and not freaky as he can before burying himself again in the book. He felt something tugging the corners of his lips to keep it in the smiling position. He suddenly realized that the memory of the surprised look on the Kuruta's face was the main contributor of that 'something'.

Another giggle. He could have rolled his eyes but something familiar caught his line of sight.

He looked at one of the girls from the corner of his eyes – blond hair and bright blue eyes. His black, usually emotionless eyes widened with surprise. He nearly dropped the book he was holding with his shock. He looked more closely, more carefully. He finally realized that the corners of his eyes had tricked him. It is true that the girl currently seated in front of him, has blond hair and blue eyes but she is nowhere near his Kuruta – because HIS Kuruta had softer golden locks, paler skin and brighter, more striking pair of sapphires for eyes. Sapphires that turns into rubies for that matter.

'She's miles behind my Kurapika' he commented, tearing his gaze away from the unsuspecting girl.

He seemed to turn pale and then a bit green but he managed to retain composure, nearly choking himself with his own breaths as he desperately shoved away the thought of a certain pretty blond boy glaring at him with bright red eyes.

'My Kurapika?' he asked himself, more shocked with the question than the similarity he had observed earlier. 'When did I become so possessive of that kid?'

"Since he left, silly!" the blond girl said, still giggling but not towards him. She was clearly speaking to her friend, a brunette with equally blue eyes and freckles. Subconsciously though, the girl accidentally answered his question. Almost immediately, he could hear the tiny voice inside of his head squeal with triumph just as his more common voice reasoned feebly at the back of his head. He decided to shut down that part of his brain for a while as he sorted out his feelings.

He stared out of the window and replayed the events of that night when he left the last living Kuruta to the Duke. Just after he recalled the sad look at the boy's eyes when he closed the door, the sight of a huge mansion became visible through the lush growth of trees. The dying sunlight and the light from its windows gave the mansion an eerie glow.

He remembered the look from the Duke's eyes as the aristocrat eyed the boy before he left. The look was rather satisfied, if not perverse. He failed to decipher the real meaning of that predatory gaze that the Duke had given the Kuruta back then.

A sudden horrible thought struck him.

"I'LL KILL HIM!" he bellowed angrily, realizing what the Duke might have already done to the boy.

The girls gasped with shock. The brunette nearly jumped off her seat with his sudden eruption.

He stood up hastily or rather, leaped with such a great show of agility from his seat with such speed that the girls sitting on the other side gasped again with surprise. He ignored their shocked expressions and left the compartment hurriedly to run on the train's corridor and look for an exit.

"I cannot let THAT happen to you", he whispered to himself, almost shaking with anger and his thoughts focused only on the terrible probability. "If it already did…" he continued, but he halted as soon as he reached the open end of the train. He hopped easily off the train and disappeared to the forest.

"I cannot forgive myself…" he added as he leaped from tree to tree as fast as he can.

As soon as he noticed the foliage getting thinner he realized that the mansion was standing rather majestically – directly in front of him; just too far, but nevertheless, a straight path. He summoned his skill book and turned the pages to a well-used skill. The next moment, he disappeared but appeared again almost in front of the final fences that separated the manor from the forest around it. The distance he covered during the mere millisecond could have taken him five minutes at least even with his maximum speed.

He clenched his fists tightly before composing himself again with a huge exhale. He decided to stick back to his original plan without killing much, no matter how furious and amazingly bloodthirsty he is right now.

He jumped over the fence towards the manor's grounds. Immediately, he noticed the numerous surveillance cameras surrounding the area. He reached out towards the nearest one and destroyed it with a single strike. He was about to leap out of the area to the lowest roof when another camera nearly faced him. He just had enough time to dodge out of sight and destroy the device. The roof, as he expected, was littered with other cameras too. He raised his eyebrow at the scene before proceeding into destroying every camera in sight. The process continued until he finally reached a possible entrance to the mansion.

The small window was just enough for him to pass through without difficulty. However, the stained glass that covers the opening looks thick enough to make so much noise if he breaks it, so he looked for another window. After all, he decided to stick upon his original plan so as not to make such a huge noise upon his entrance and getting his own self caught in another very boring killing other window was almost the same except for the design of the stained glass and so were the other windows. So he decided to hop to the higher part of the mansion instead where the windows were bigger and with hinges that can be dislocated without much noise.

As he expected, more surveillance cameras were present and this time, they are much more technologically advanced. Of course such mundane matters are never a problem to the Spiders especially to the leader – the Master Thief, the head of the Genei Ryodan. He simply dodged the areas covered by the cameras and destroyed them as soon as he was behind them. In a few moments he reached the nearest window. It was locked but breaking the hinges with his fingers was an easy and incredibly silent task and soon, he found himself inside the huge mansion, walking calmly as if he was its owner.

'Where could you be?' he asked himself as he passed by a corridor which was heavily decorated by expensive paintings. He eyed them thoughtfully but shook them off his mind as soon as the tiny voice that had kept him pushing through this retrieval mission for so long had woken up yet again to nag him.

He kept on walking and climbing stairs downwards – since he arrived on the topmost floor, until he finally heard voices on one end of the corridor.

"You should have seen him", a familiar one said, and excitement was very much evident in the masculine voice.

"Yes, the community had been talking excitedly about this newfound treasure of yours as soon as most of them had witnessed his surreal beauty with his eyes blood red", another one replied with as much enthusiasm.

'Kurapika!' Kuroro almost exclaimed. He rushed to the direction from where the voices are and listened carefully as he hid himself in the shadows.

"It is the most beautiful thing! His eyes are the best among its kind. They glow with this otherworldly light and together with that pretty face of his, I never thought that obtaining something as valuable as him was even possible" the first voice exclaimed his tone was filled with pride and elation. "But as you can see, with connections, I was able to obtain him for myself."

"We all knew about that", another one, this time a female's voice, said. "But I've heard that the Kuruta is giving you some problems with his attitude."

"Yes, yes", the first voice replied, almost in an impatient manner. Kuroro was very sure right now that the voice belonged to the Duke. "That is the worst part, yet, that is what I love most about the kid", the Duke added as he laughed in quite a perverse manner.

Kuroro's eyes narrowed with mixed shock and anger as he felt his heartbeat rising in its pace. It seems that his heart would soon burst out of his ribcage yelling in fury. He could not hold his trembling hand anymore. The desire to kill everyone in his sight had never been this strong. And he has to give in to this thirst even for just now.

"You see", the Duke continued. "I do not like passive individuals. And the pretty boy's very far from being passive. I like him better when he is protesting than when he is silent, especially when I-"

Whatever the statement was, no one ever knew, because the next and the last thing that everyone saw in that room was a young man's dark eyes filled with an immeasurable amount of anger.

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Kuroro wiped the blood off his hands with the coat of the nearest dead body. He then took a goblet of the best smelling wine from the dining table and poured it over his hands before pouring yet another goblet of water this time and finally, wiping them dry with a table napkin. He made sure that his clothes were absolutely free of bloodstains before he left the hall towards the dungeon – as was mentioned by the last person he killed when he asked about the Kuruta's whereabouts.

As he had anticipated, the way to the dungeon was filled with guards – most of them armed with guns and other weapons but there had been a few Nen-users along the way. However, he was such in a hurry that he did not even have the chance to know the ability of his opponents because he simply struck them down fast and they died the very instant.

In a few minutes of senselessly killing everyone on his path, he finally reached the last room in the dungeon. The large wooden door was lined with stainless metal and on one side was a huge metal lock. Kuroro easily struck the lock with one of his hands and it broke down. Then he proceeded on kicking the door open – almost fearing of the sight that might unfold before him.

As the first door exploded with whatever that hit it, the room's inhabitant immediately sprang up from his sitting position into an attackong crouch, his eyes glowing incredibly red against the darkness of the surroundings. He summoned his chains the very moment and prepared to defend himself. He knew that whoever it is to enter the dungeon room with such force is probably not someone from the Duke's men, therefore, if he proved to be any threat, then even if Kurapika attacks, the Judgment Chain in Killua's heart would not activate. He had to make sure though, so he cannot attack yet until he sees the intruder for himself.

"Kurapika, are you all right?" a familiar voice called out to him from behind the seocnd – this time metal, door.

"What the-", Kurapika blurted out with disbelief.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out. Please stay away from the door", the voice ordered.

Kurapika could not believe what he was hearing but he ran or rather scrambled away from the door anyway. The next moment, the door was thrown across the room with so much force that the wall it hit ended up in a cloud of dust.

As soon as the second and last door – the metal one, was out of his way, Kuroro rushed inside the small room. He saw what he was looking for on one corner of the room, standing still but perfectly alert and ready to strike – golden locks of soft hair with strands almost obscuring the brightness of the rubies that he had for eyes. Those eyes were just too bright that the glow ignored the strands of hair that came in front of it, making everything near them visible – the paleness of the boy's skin, the shocked look on his face, and the plain white long-sleeved shirt and faded denim that he is wearing. And with Gyo, he could see the boy's magnificent aura surrounding him calmly yet defensively.

"What are you doing here?", Kurapika growled, very much surprised at the man's presence.

Kuroro sighed audibly with relief that his Kuruta retained the same old fierceness that he had ever since. From his distance, he also checked for any signs of physical injuries and was definitely glad not to have found one. "I came here to get you out. Are you all right?" he asked as he paced hurriedly towards the boy, a tone of concern was present in his voice.

"What?" the boy asked his voice raised an octave with surprise.

The face of the boy he came all the way from another continent to right where the two of them stood right now was enough to erase the anger he had felt nearly squeezing his chest earlier. He totally had no idea why, but seeing the Kuruta looking pretty unharmed right now was enough to satisfy him for the moment.

"Had you hit your head or something?" Kuroro asked, raising an eyebrow. He meant to tease but the surprised look of the Kuruta led him to realize that what he is doing right now is very much out of character and incredibly dubious – especially for Kurapika. "I'm serious Kurapika. I came here to get you out of this hell. Now, let us go before the authorities get here."

Kurapika opened his mouth to say something but there are just too many questions in his head right now and he could not decide which to ask first so he picked out a random statement which came out as, "You know I can't do that."

Kuroro blinked with surprise, clearly confused at the boy's statement.

Kurapika collected his thoughts and weighed everything down to find a support with his statement. Fortunately, he remembered it immediately. "You ordered me not to escape, right? And this is escaping. If I do this, Killua will die!" he explained.

Kuroro thought for a moment before replying, his dark eyes staring straight at the glowing red ones. He was so desperate to get the boy out right now and everything does not matter. He finally replied, "Cancel the previous orders, I want you to come with me now."

He gained no reply from the boy who was still wide-eyed and openmouthed with disbelief.

"That should cancel everything that I said before right?" Kuroro asked, trying to obtain the boy's attention back into reality.

Kurapika nodded and then snapped back to the present as his glowing red eyes gradually returned to their blue state. He hated the situation right now – he being rescued like some damsel in distress, especially when the rescuing prince is the leader of the group of people he had always wished to exterminate. However, he hated the place so much and he felt that living in that wretched area for another minute will eventually drain every drop of pride that the Kuruta ever had. He admitted to himself that Kuroro was not as despicable as he pictured him to be, and staying with him rather than remaining in the mansion with a very perverse Duke as his master, seemed to be a better idea. Forced to choose between being the Spiders' prisoner and the Duke's pet, he would rather be the prisoner anytime. After all, Kuroro Lucifer never treated him as a sort of pet – well, he does at a certain extent, but it is not as humiliating and degrading for his gender, anyway…

He then rummaged around the small room to gather his belongings, which are the set of tribal clothes he wore when he was taken here and a few other clothes that the Duke provided him. In a few seconds he stuffed them inside a small bag and he was all set up.

Kuroro eyed the boy attentively until the kid sprang beside him, ready to go. Kuroro did not speak another word, but instead, he grabbed the boy by the waist and threw the slender frame over his shoulders before opening his skill book.

The boy was too shocked to react and even before his brain was able to comprehend what was really happening, they were out of the dungeon. He still found no words for the situation when the man ran and leaped with incredible speed until they were in the forest. Kuroro carried him wordlessly until they reached the railway tracks where the man carefully put him down under a tree.

It was nighttime now, and the moon was shining above them. Kurapika remained as quiet as he can be underneath the huge tree as he processed his thoughts and formulated his questions in his mind. Kuroro on the other hand was silently watching him a few feet away.

"Are you hungry?" Kuroro suddenly asked. Kurapika, who thought that the question is not that appropriate for the situation, just gaped at him, openmouthed for the thousandth time that night.

Kuroro smiled at the surprised look on the Kuruta's face, finally contented at the fact that the boy is now sitting safely, though not very happily, beside him. "I am asking you if you're hungry, Kurapika", he pushed.

"Uh, no?" Kurapika replied, feeling that he somehow needs to reply to the man. This man was his savior after all.

"When was the last time that the Duke fed you?" Kuroro asked, almost flinching at the word 'Duke' as if it was some kind of disgusting creature.

"About an hour before you came. Why?" the boy asked, curious of the man's sudden concern.

"I thought that you might be hungry. Anyway, we'll stop at the nearest town so that we can have dinner and get some sleep", Kuroro explained. "I really thought that the Duke might not take good care of you."

Kurapika, who looked away as soon as the man started to speak, was now staring back at him with double the attentiveness and curiosity added by a huge amount of surprise. "He needs to keep me healthy anyway…"

"Right", Kuroro replied uneasily. He looks as if he is getting disturbed by the conversation, "He needs to keep you pretty enough…"

Kurapika stood up right now with equal amounts of anger and shock. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!"

'Right now, pretty much everything', he could have replied but the priceless look at the Kuruta's face had been too much for him already and he laughed. Kuroro Lucifer, the leader of the Genei Ryodan, the Master Thief among the thieves, the most feared S-class bandit, et cetera, et cetera, was laughing in front of the person who most wanted him dead.

"That does not answer my question!" Kurapika yelled, very much exasperated because the other man was having too much fun at his expense, his temper's expense rather.

"You never fail to amuse me Kurapika", the man commented after recovering from his laughter. His face looked brighter, even kinder right now – not to mention way more handsome, without the furry trench coat, the slicked-back hair, and the cross in his forehead.

Kurapika was about to retort that he should not be treated as a source of amusement when they saw pinpricks of lights from a distance, accompanied by the loud hooting of a train.

"Finally", Kuroro muttered as he reached out his hand for Kurapika to hold. "Let's go."

Kurapika eyed the hand suspiciously before asking, "Where?"

"We'll hop to the train since we have no tickets", Kuroro explained as he grabbed Kurapika's hand instead because the boy refused to take his. "It's almost here, get ready."

Again, before he could even speak a word, the man had thrown him over his shoulders to be carried off. "Kuroro!" he exclaimed loudly. It seems that the man is now acting farther and farther than the Genei Ryodan leader he knew and hated.

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt you", Kuroro assured him.

The next moment, the train passed by in full speed and the man leaped to land above it. Kurapika merely produced a huge gasp before Kuroro had carefully laid him down the train's roof.

"The next town would not be too far, but it would be difficult if we travel by dark. And to tell you the truth, I do not really know the way, so this would be a lot better", Kuroro explained at the shaken young man in front of him.

"You… you're…" Kurapika struggled for words as he clutched his chest for breath. He was a bit shaken with the man's nearly suicidal act; however, he was more shocked at Kuroro's inexplicably kind demeanor towards him.

"I'm what?" Kuroro asked, curious at the possible outcome of the statement.

"You… I don't know you already…" the Kuruta finally managed, glancing sideways – away from those dark emotionless eyes which now shine not with coldness but with warmth. Yes, annoying warmth.

"You never knew me", Kuroro whispered as he faced away from the boy towards the direction that the train was heading. 'I don't think I even know myself anymore…' he thought to himself.

The two spent the whole half of the hour in awkward silence; Kurapika, thinking of what the hell got in the mind of the Spiders' leader and he rescued him from the Duke, and Kuroro, thinking of a way to explain what he had done and why, to his comrades. Kurapika could not take it anymore, and since his brain could not come up of a rational answer, he decided to ask.

"Kuroro", he uttered, almost inaudibly. He hesitated for a moment but then decided to continue anyway.

"Yes?" Kuroro replied. He was a little bit surprised that the boy was the one to initiate a conversation.

Kurapika grabbed the moment even before his courage to ask escapes him again. "Why did you save me?"

Kuroro looked back at him with his eyes narrowed, then the man became seriously in thought as he answered, "Do you want to hear what you wanted to hear? Or do you want to hear the truth?"

Had it been a conversation with one of his friends, Kurapika would have punched the other person or tore his own hair with his hands with exasperation already. But since his companion right now is the Genei Ryodan leader, he knew that such antics would be inappropriate, so he thought about the man's words first before answering, "What is the difference?"

Kuroro did not hesitate to reply and he explained as he looked straight at the boy's eyes, "If you tell me that you want to hear what you only wanted to hear, and then I will tell you a reason which is not my own but is most rational at the moment. But, if you wished to hear the truth then I will tell you but do not expect to be enlightened or contented about it."

Kurapika's mouth shot open again in a loss for words, but he managed to close it even before the man starts his unbearable fits of laughter again. "What if I want to hear both?" he asked.

"Will you believe me then?" Kuroro questioned him, still not tearing his gaze away from the Kuruta's eyes.

"Yes", Kurapika said, clearly desperate to hear the man's reason.

Kuroro sighed first before finally answering the boy, "For practical reasons, I retrieved you because I have other uses for you. But to tell you the truth, I came here to get you out of the mansion because I am worried about you."

"Worried?" Kurapika repeated, his whole rational world crashing round him. "You're w-worried?" he stuttered, unsure if he heard the word correctly and clarifying it.

"Yes", Kuroro confessed, still staring at the boy's eyes which lost all signs of anger and curiosity right now and is simply filled by shock.

"You… Worry?" Kurapika asked, clearly unbelieving that he heard the word right and more unbelieving that the man in front of him is capable of such.

"Kurapika, this talk is getting nowhere. Whatever happened to you back in that mansion must have affected your brain. Would you like to see a doctor?" Kuroro said, trying to divert the boy's attention to his teasing away from the main conversation. Because frankly, he do not have even the slightest idea of why he was even worried about the kid.

"I don't need a doctor!" Kurapika yelled again, much to Kuroro's relief that his small plan worked.

The blond was about to ask another question when the train slowed down and hooted loudly, announcing that it was about to stop. Kuroro was so much relieved by now that everything is happening favorably for him.

"Hop down before the train reaches the station", Kuroro instructed, as Kurapika stood beside him.

"Are you crazy?" Kurapika said, his eyes wide open with disbelief as he stared at the ground which seemed to run past them with incredible speed. He really believe that jumping off would be suicide without Nen but Nen is never a problem for him. He can easily manage, of course, but as much as possible he does not want to risk, since the sight seemed dangerous...

"Or do you want me to carry you again?" Kuroro teased. "This time, I'll make sure not to put you down until we find a place to stay for the-"

At that moment, Kurapika had already jumped off the train and landed softly on the ground, not wanting to hear Kuroro finishing his 'quite threatening' statement. Kuroro, on the other hand, simply smiled at the boy's action. 'Sometimes, even a wise kid can be easily tricked using the right words…' he smirked at the thought before hopping.

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The two of them wandered in the small town for a few minutes until Kuroro noticed that the boy was already shivering with the cold night wind. He tried to ignore it, but the boy's act of rubbing his arms when he was not looking is very much getting into his nerves already. The two of them knew very well how thin the boy's clothes are and Nen would be dangerous to use especially in an unknown yet populated region, so he sees no point in the boy's act of pretending that he is not feeling cold.

After a few more moments, he cannot take it anymore.

"Here", Kuroro finally spoke after removing the black coat that he was wearing and handing it to the boy.

"I don't need it", Kurapika snapped immediately.

Kuroro sighed deeply, for the 'nth' time, and then said, "Take it and wear it. It's an order, Kurapika."

The boy gritted his teeth with defeat as he reached out for the coat and wore it over his shirt. He would not admit it, but he really felt a lot better when he finally had something warm over him. And no matter how difficult it was for him, he could not help but feel grateful for Kuroro.

In a few more moments, they finally reached a small inn which, as they later learned, was the only inn in that town. No other place rents rooms and sells meals for travelers other than this humble, very house-like building.

"Come in!" a warm, cheerful voice welcomed them in the tavern.

Both of them entered as soon as the invitation was spoken and they were met by a small old woman and a man who must have been the same age as Kuroro. "Excuse me Ma'am, but are there any rooms available?" Kuroro asked politely as he observed everyone the inn.

"Ah! Young travelers, eh?" the old woman exclaimed, her eyes scanning Kuroro and Kurapika kindly.

Both of them faked their most amiable smiles at the old woman.

"Yes", Kuroro replied. "We are a bit desperate of having a place to spend the night." He continued to assess everyone in the inn, however, he found no one with any offensive aura. As a matter of fact, he actually found no one capable of even using Nen.

"Of course, we have a vacant room", the old woman replied as cheerfully as before. Then she faced the young man who greeted Kuroro and Kurapika with a smile across the room, before speaking again, "Haru, we have guests, please prepare dinner."

"Yes mother!" the young man said as he sped off to the counter and disappeared towards another door – probably the kitchen.

"Please sit down and feel at home", the old woman said warmly, tapping their shoulders lightly. "I will just prepare the key to your room." The next moment, the woman had already left to the counter too.

Kurapika sank down to the nearest chair and was followed by Kuroro. He was about to heave a huge sigh when a hand shot from beside him and got hold of his arm. He blinked in surprise and met Kuroro's equally surprised eyes.

He stared at the owner of the hand, who was an incredibly huge and well-built man. His face was bright red with drunkenness and he smelled strongly of alcohol. Kurapika slapped his forehead with his free hand and sighed as the event he hated most was happening again.

"Hi there pretty!" the drunken giant exclaimed gleefully, grinning at Kurapika widely.

Kuroro suppressed his laughter and sat comfortably at his chair as he clearly showed the boy that he has no plans of getting him out of this amusing incident.

Kurapika eyed at Kuroro disbelievingly as the giant continued to grin and pronounce praises beside him. He sighed calmly and said, in the most decent, most diplomatic way possible, "Sorry, I have no time for this." Then he shook the giant's grasp away from his arm.

Kuroro stared at Kurapika with so much fascination right now. He was surprised that the boy did not even mention that he was, well, a boy, to the giant. He bit his lips to keep himself from smiling and continued upon watching what in his opinion could be considered as a getting-funnier-by-the-minute scene.

"WHAT?!" the giant bellowed angrily.

The entire inn was now shocked and most of the people cowered beneath the tables as the giant proceeded on screaming grumpily. "NO LADY SAYS NO TO ME!"

The word 'lady' had gotten a vein into the act of literally popping out of his head already. 'That's it, this moron's gonna get it!' Kurapika thought as he rose from his seat to silence the noisy drunk. He was about to face the drunken man but Kuroro was already in between them. The raven-haired man looked at him with a smug grin before facing the now hysterical giant.

To Kurapika's horror, Kuroro had already faced the giant with a fake serious look and a very Spiders'-Danchou-demeanor. "Mister, please stop", Kuroro said, making Kurapika gasp for the next statements which the boy knew would be very amusing for the man but very degrading on his part.

"Kuroro!" the boy tried to intervene, but the man was serious in his idea of having fun.

"Worry not, 'dear', let me handle this", Kuroro replied seriously as he faced the giant but Kurapika knew more when the man emphasized the word 'dear' which clearly meant to annoy him further. "In case you haven't noticed, sir, the lady is getting uncomfortable with your loud voice. And she is here with me so please leave. We do not want any trouble", Kuroro said calmly, as if everything he said was meant with all the genuineness in his heart.

'Dear?! Lady?! WITH HIM?!' Kurapika almost blurted out angrily since Kuroro had already gone too far in getting in his nerves. He was about to summon his chains to knock the hell out of Kuroro – Killua or no Killua, but the giant was the first to react.

"THE LADY IS MINE!" the giant bellowed as he directed a punch towards Kuroro.

Kurapika contemplated deeply whether to curse the giant for calling him a 'lady' or cheer him for attempting to punch Kuroro.

Of course, the leader of the Spiders simply accepted the punch with his left hand and then with a serious look – fake of course, he said, emphasizing every word, "Sir, Get out. Now." Then he proceeded upon crushing the giant's fist.

The drunken man howled in pain before running and stumbling on his way out of the inn.

"That settles it then", Kuroro smiled innocently at every cowering figure underneath the tables before returning to his seat to face a fuming Kuruta.

He stared at the boy across the table, his dark eyes meeting blood-red ones.

"Never", Kurapika started, suppressing every ounce of violence that tends to escape from his grasp, "Never try to do that again…"

"Or else?" Kuroro asked teasingly, eager to push the Kuruta to the edge of his anger.

"I'll ki-"

"Thank you sir!" the old woman emerged from the counter and ran hurriedly towards them.

Kurapika was cut off from whatever he was trying to say to alter his eyes' red color to blue and fake another smile to the old lady, who seems too gentle to survive a red-eyed Kuruta's death glare.

"He always does that here. And we cannot do anything against him. Thank you for getting him out before he starts to wreck things again. Business usually ends up badly for weeks whenever he does that. I and my sons are grateful for you!" the old woman said almost in the verge of tears to Kuroro, who seems to be taking everything all too well.

'Hypocrite!' Kurapika exclaimed at Kuroro in his thoughts but he was just too diplomatic at the moment to burst the old woman's bubble.

"It's nothing, you don't have to worry about it Ma'am", Kuroro replied to the lady, holding his hands up as a gesture that tells them not to mind the act.

"Please, accept our gratitude", one of the woman's sons came out of the kitchen and brought them a platter of humble, yet very delicious looking food. "And your room rent need not be paid for."

"Thank you!" Kuroro exclaimed, "We are very much grateful. You don't really have to."

"No, we insist child", the old woman replied kindly before staring back at Kurapika who looks shaken at the event. "Are you all right, dear?"

"Uh, yes… Yes, I am. Thank you Ma'am", Kurapika answered, sighing heavily afterwards to calm himself. After all, where could they find a place to stay for free like that? He finally kicked off his pride and decided to get on board Kuroro's stupid game. 'I will never let this happen again anyway', he reasoned. He smiled at his kindest, most charming smile possible at the end of his sigh, at the old lady, who smiled back with equal intensity – the only difference is, the woman's smile was true his was, again, a fake.

"She must be scared after the incident", one of the sons remarked thoughtfully.

Kurapika's impatient vein was on the verge of popping out of his temple again. Fortunately, Kuroro felt that the embarrassing statements had already reached their maximum allowable limit on the boy's temper for the day, so he rescued the unsuspecting man from getting brutally whipped by a materialized chain and he asked kindly, "I think my companion…", he paused to consider whether to use feminine nouns rather than unisex ones. But seeing the still-blue-but-definitely-as-deadly glare from the boy was enough to make him think twice. He did not come all the way here to get himself skinned alive after all, so he continued, "… needs to rest already. Can we take the food in our room instead?"

"Of course, of course…" the old woman replied. "Follow me, and I'll take you to your room. We will take the food there afterwards", she added with the same motherly manner.

"Thank you", Kuroro said as he followed the old woman who now led the way towards their room. He can feel Kurapika's murderous glares from behind and simply smiled at the thought.

As soon as they were alone, Kurapika's temper broke loose.

"What were you thinking?!" he asked angrily but kept his voice low for the inhabitants of the other rooms to remain unsuspecting. His surreal crimson eyes were glowing brightly in the dim candlelit room.

"What are you saying Kurapika?" Kuroro replied, a crooked smile forming on his lips, clearly not missing the moment to appreciate the unbelievable glow of the boy's eyes to himself before replying.

Kurapika clenched his fists incredulously at the man who was obviously playing innocent in front of him. "What are you saying, what am I saying?!" he repeated venomously taking a step forward the Genei Ryodan leader.

Kuroro smiled at the boy's aggressiveness, "You don't have to be so angry about it. I was just playing around, Kurapika."

"THAT'S MY POINT, KURORO LUCIFER!" Kurapika hissed at the man. "YOU were having fun at MY expense! YOU just called ME words that I do not even want to think about!"

"Like 'dear' and 'lady'?" Kuroro smirked teasingly while saying the words. "And the pronoun 'she'?"

"SHUT UP!" Kurapika yelled, losing all the poise and diplomacy that he had. "That DUKE that YOU sold ME at was TOO difficult enough!"

Kuroro stopped dead at the argument. He averted his gaze from the blond boy that was all too ready to literally burst in anger in front of him, and then focused his eyes on the small candle by the window instead. "The Duke…" he muttered, almost inaudibly but Kurapika caught it.

"Yes the DUKE! HE IS SUCH A PAIN IN THE A-"

"Did he do something to you Kurapika?" Kuroro asked seriously, still not meeting Kurapika's angry red eyes.

"What?" Kurapika was shaken off his angry fit by the seriousness of the man's tone. He was sure that the man in front of him now was angry enough to kill him with aura alone, as the man's aura was visibly lashing violently around him. "Kuroro?" he asked, confirming whether he heard the man's question correctly and because he definitely feels that the man needs answers or else.

"Did the Duke do something to you, Kurapika?" Kuroro repeated as he turned to face the blond. His eyes were not even blinking in their frightening emotionless state.

"He…" Kurapika was about to say something when he was cut off by Kuroro, his own red eyes fading back into blue ones.

"He did something… right?" Kuroro muttered with emphasis, as if suppressing a possible sudden killing spree.

"Kuro-" Kurapika tried to calm him but again, the man intervened while he was still in midsentence, clearly indicating that the man only wanted to hear an answer – be it a 'Yes' or a 'No', to his question and no more explanations.

"What did he do to you?"

"N-nothing really…"

"What did he do to you, Kurapika?"

"I told you it's nothing!"

"Did he 'touch' you?"

Finally, Kurapika realized what the man was talking about. It is true that the Duke was perverse enough to do such things, fortunately, the aristocrat made it a point to himself that the Kuruta is simply too pure to be a subject to such dirty worldliness, therefore, saving Kurapika from any possible 'attacks'.

He decided to reply now before the man in front of him starts his possible fits of rage. "No he didn't!" he replied. "Kuroro I know what you're thinking but the Duke didn't do anything more than make fun of my looks to get me angry", he sighed afterwards when he received a blink of surprise from the man.

Kuroro was silent for a moment. He was judging the truth from the boy's words. He paced closer to the Kuruta who, much to his surprise, did not even move from his spot even though the boy's face was not even a foot away from him.

The sight was remarkably bizarre. Kurapika recalled the time when the Genei Ryodan leader was this close to him and he noted his behavior back then. He would have done the same given a different situation. But this time, he had to be patient not only because the man looks dangerous enough to kill with a single stare but also because he needs to know why the man is acting like that for a reason that did not even concern the Genei Ryodan.

Kuroro finally blinked and in just that single moment, he changed back to the unknown young man that had playfully made fun of the Kuruta, not the dark and wickedly-cunning Master Thief that the fearsome Genei Ryodan has for their leader. "That's good to hear", Kuroro said, after a huge sigh of relief. He then sat down on one of the beds and gestured Kurapika to sit down on the other bed.

There was a huge pause of awkward silence since Kurapika could not find the right words and because Kuroro is currently searching for the most rational explanation to the Kuruta's every possible questions. Their food arrived and just after the old lady who brought them had closed the door, the boy decided to break the silence.

"Kuroro", he called, quite disappointed at himself for starting the conversation the same way he did back on the train's roof.

"Hmm?" Kuroro replied, readying himself for the incoming bout of questions.

"Thanks", the boy said shyly in almost a whisper. He then reached out for his share of the food and started eating quietly. He knew that asking the man will get him to nowhere because Kuroro is just too cunning and will easily get away with anything he asks. He hated to think that he had just thanked the man he hated the most, but he genuinely felt the need to do so. After all, he would do everything to be away from the Duke's mansion without accidentally killing Killua in the process, and the man he had hated for six years was the only one who came to rescue him. Although, both of them seemed ignorant for the real reasons, Kurapika believes that the man had no evil plans for him, judging by the anger that he felt surrounding the man when he was asking about the Duke. Honestly, right now, he does not know what to think of anymore.

Kuroro was surprised at the boy's words. He did not expect such a remark from the Kuruta. He ate in silence, observing the boy from his position and noting how much he had gotten paler by staying in that mansion's dungeon. He studied the boy's countenance. It was the same Kuruta who had succeeded in capturing him back in York Shin. But the boy right now had gotten a bit slimmer, paler, and somewhat, to his and Phinx's opinion, more feminine. It was the same kid but York Shin's Kuruta is cold, ruthless, perfectly lethal, while the Kuruta right now, the one he had caught about more than a month ago, was a lot softer, although still as fierce and deadly as before, Kurapika of today is more of… well, his taste.

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After dinner, both of them had gone through their nightly rituals of cleaning themselves and brushing their teeth, without minding the other one's business. In less than an hour, both were already lying on their respective beds, their backs facing each other. The boy was the first to fall asleep, which gave Kuroro the chance of studying the sleeping figure from across the room.

He remembered the last conversation he had with Shalnark in that noisy little restaurant before his thoughts shifted to the question of the Kuruta when they were seated on the train's roof.

'Why did you save me?'

He knew the answers he had provided earlier were the closest he can think of right now. He could not actually pinpoint the reason why he did save the boy. All he knew was that without the boy, something important is missing in his being. And when the sudden horrible thought of the Duke probably soiling the boy's innocence came into his mind, he could not help but feel terribly angry. He never remembered feeling such an intense emotion that had easily pushed his usually stoic demeanor into a frightening rage. He never felt his heart beating so wildly with fury until just earlier this dusk. But when he saw that the Kuruta he had been concerned of all this time safe and sound and shocked at his sudden arrival, he could not keep himself from showing his happiness. Unfortunately, feeling happy right now does not really help him solve the mystery that had been puzzling him ever since he was separated to the blond.

"I just really want to save you, because I'm worried Kurapika…" he whispered at no one in particular but consciously answering the question that had been bothering the boy ever since he heard the first door of his cell exploding.

He walked closer to where the blond lies and peered at the sleeping boy and lingered his stare on the boy's eyelids. Lashes carefully lined the gentle curve of his eyes – longer and thicker than what could be considered masculine. Golden strands covered the ivory eyelids slightly as the boy gently turned making him wonder, 'What treasures do they encase right now – sapphire or rubies?'


	10. Attaching Attachments

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Informed by Shalnark that something worth stealing lies near the Duke of Reinfield's mansion, he decided to remain there as he tries to soften Kurapika's attitude. During the mission, he hopes that the boy might be able to develop even the tiniest trace of attachment for him as he finishes his own tasks at hand. An argument arises and he was forced to confess the things he never knew he felt

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Thanks to everyone who were so faithful to have read this chapter. I was about to post it last Wednesday but I was caught in a huge Final Paper and fell into an accidental yet incredibly exciting adventure slash vacation. I apologize for the long wait –bows–. To the usual reviewers MY BIGGEST THANKS!!!

KuroKura fans, THIS IS IT! All of the cheesy stuff shall formally begin here. My friend just squealed on this chapter –sweatdrop-… Anyway, enjoy and then please review XD!

**CHAPTER 10**

**ATTACHING ATTACHMENTS**

"Danchou?" Shalnark asked, recognizing the voice immediately from the other line, but asking anyway to be sure.

"Yes Shalnark, this is me", the man replied.

"Is everything fine?" Shalnark inquired.

"Yes", Kuroro answered again, this time shifting his position slightly in his seat. He gave his unconscious seatmate a smile before proceeding to speak on the phone again. "I just called to inform you that I'm fine. You do not need to call the others about this."

The young man on the other line sighed with relief at the words of the person on the other line. He hesitated for a moment before asking, "And Kurapika?"

There was a short pause before the man replied, "He is here with me, sleeping."

Shalnark was not even a bit surprised; after all, he knew all of these will happen anyway. A few days ago, he simply helped the man because he can see clearly how the other had secretly suffered upon the lost of the boy. "Oh!", he said. "Uh, Danchou, did you find what you are looking for, then?" he asked, not expecting an answer but eager to know nevertheless.

"Yes", Kuroro replied with a smile as he gently tucked a rogue lock of blond hair behind the boy's ear. "I'm still not sure of what it is but I believe I found it already. I think someday, this boy beside me will give me the answers about it. I just don't know what the right questions to ask him right now are…"

"Are you happy?"

"Contented."

Shalnark smiled. He then bid the other man goodbye after asking for a few orders before cutting off the line. He stretched out his arms as he lay carelessly on the grass, his face pointed towards the heavens. "Danchou should better find a good explanation for all of this before the others learn about it."

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The previous night, Kurapika woke up to find Kuroro staring wordlessly at him at the end of his bed. He was so shocked that he failed to fall asleep again despite Kuroro's apologetic looks, which later turned into teasing. The older man, however, was not at all bothered by the fact that the Kuruta could not sleep and therefore might plan something against him during his slumber, and dozed off. Kurapika, on the other hand, was left staying up all night, reading books and watching the other man suspiciously, in his sleep.

The two thanked – but only one of them genuinely, the owners of the small inn before they left to head out of the country. Kuroro decided to travel by train and because he can easily order the boy into submission, the boy did not have any other choice.

The journey, as Kuroro explained, will be long and would definitely take time so he mentioned that Kurapika could get some sleep in the second train if he wanted to since the first train was rather cramped. The boy, looking rather desperate for a little lights out, agreed and soon, he was sleeping in the compartment, with his head leaning and occasionally bumping against the glass window.

Kuroro got a bit annoyed of the slight 'thuds' that accompany Kurapika's head hitting against the window or its frame in the compartment. He realized that if this goes on any longer, the boy will certainly develop an annoying swelling at the side of his head so he stood up from his seat and sat beside the boy. Then gently, he pulled the boy's sleeping head towards his shoulder which even though far from the comforts provided by a pillow, is considerably softer and much more comfortable to lean on.

After that, he decided to call Shalnark to inform him that he is all right and what had been lost had been retrieved already.

The short talk was enough to drag him back to his thoughts again – of what had been missing but found. It took him nearly half an hour of blankly staring off to oblivion before deciding to focus on the boy peacefully sleeping with his head on his shoulder.

'Kuruta, it is a small tribe of peaceful people in the inner realm of the Rukuso Region. Their citizens usually have pale hair color and skin tone. Their eyes were bright blue in color instantly turning to red during emotionally agitating moments. The people of the Kuruta Tribe are good warriors, no matter how gentle they may look, and their youngsters are trained to hold weapons as soon as they can walk. Take as much precaution as necessary. Do not leave a single one of them alive. We are only after their eyes. Execute.' Kuroro recalled the words as his orders to his subjects just six years ago, when they raided the Kuruta Tribe for their precious organic rubies.

"Do not leave a single one of them alive…" he repeated the words as a whisper to himself. "We are only after their eyes." Instantly, he stared more intently at the sleeping boy beside him. It is definitely clear for him right now that he is not after the boys' eyes only. The eyes look better encased by the boy's eyelids which were heavily lined with lashes. These, in turn, were located on the boy's beautiful, ivory face, guarded by the soft golden strands of hair that flowed and danced gently with his every move.

"Looks like we failed in our mission back then", he added softly. "Because you got away and were able to pester me back at York Shin. You even bound my Nen and put me in great peril because of my vulnerability for a few months. In the last weeks, your absence caused me a lot of unease. And now, I have to formulate a huge alibi just to save your neck from the rest of the Spiders… You're such a troublesome kid, Kurapika."

"If you would only realize how much trouble you are causing me, little Kuruta…" he continued, not releasing his gaze at the sleeping boy who now nuzzled unconsciously at the mistaken pillow which is Kuroro's shoulder.

Kuroro smiled slightly at the boy's act before getting a book from his coat pocket. It was the one that he was reading, or rather, was trying to read the day before, when he also rode a train to get to the Duke's mansion. He tried not to move as much as possible, almost fearing that the boy would wake up. It was not difficult for him to be motionless; however, seeing the kid's blond head this close to him is a bit distracting. Therefore, he ended up not reading anything at all, but rather, observing the boy in his sleep – the way he moves his lips, the slow and peaceful breathing, his soft scent…

He continued to watch the boy with as much fascination – the look that he only reserves for the priceless treasures that he had laid his hands on for the very first time. He had only realized that the sun was already low clearly indicating that they have been in the train for at least four hours, since the rest of the morning was spent riding another train.

Suddenly, as if an enemy had just gotten inside his circle of En, the boy jerked his head up, barely missing Kuroro's face but hitting the window by the other side of his head. Kurapika uttered a sharp groan at the slight sting, while Kuroro fought hard to keep a straight face.

"What in the world…" Kurapika hissed immediately, noticing that he had been sleeping on Kuroro's shoulder.

"Good afternoon Kurapika", Kuroro greeted simply, not even facing the blond, pretending to be as innocent as possible.

"What are you doing in this seat?" Kurapika asked suspiciously, his eyes already red and his face was almost getting just as red after realizing what he must have been doing for hours.

Kuroro was amused at the blond's reaction. Although he already guessed that the boy would definitely get furious, he did not expect the boy to get so red all of a sudden too. He anticipated the incoming events and prepared himself to keep his facial muscles relaxed to look as stoic as possible.

"You were hitting your head too much on the window", Kuroro explained. He was still not looking at the blond because he feared that the amusing look at the boy's face might betray his innocent pretension. "I was worried that you might crack your skull already so I went here to literally give you a shoulder to lean on."

The still red Kuruta, narrowed his eyes with suspicion for the other man's words, but much to Kuroro's surprise, he quitted the emerging argument and asked instead, "How long had I been sleeping?"

"Almost four hours", Kuroro replied, now looking at the boy.

The boy's eyes widened with shocked and embarrassment at the answer before he stammered, "F-four hours?!"

"Yes", Kuroro said, staring back at his book while hiding another smile. He finally noticed it, that his rare smiles had been escaping too much from his lips recently – whenever he was with the Kuruta.

"How long had I been doing 'it'?" Kurapika asked again, getting redder.

"'It'?" Kuroro inquired back. Of course he knew that 'it' means the act of the Kuruta leaning on his shoulder during sleep, but he felt that he should keep playing innocent until the Kuruta is already too red to admit that he, really did sleep while leaning on Kuroro's, or rather, his mortal enemy's shoulders.

"'IT'! You know…" Kurapika pushed, averting his gazes from the man and, as Kuroro had expected, getting really red every passing moment.

"Kurapika, you are not making any sense right now", Kuroro said emotionlessly, although he felt his facial muscles nearly ripping themselves from being kept straight and emotionless.

"Never mind…" Kurapika hissed, deciding to end the argument rather than admit 'defeat'.

"What is 'it'?" Kuroro asked, his eyes narrowed with fake suspicion.

"I told you never mind it!" Kurapika half-yelled again, his face beet-red already.

"Your face is so red right now Kurapika", Kuroro said teasingly, a smirk crept to his face.

"W-what?" Kurapika stuttered, holding his cheeks with both hands, and sure enough, he felt them burning – for a reason he does not know, much less, understand.

"You're actually getting redder than your eyes", Kuroro teased even more.

"S-shut up!"

"You just wouldn't admit it, would you?"

"Admit what?"

"That you slept nuzzled on my neck and shoulders."

Kurapika felt his cheeks burning even more. He knew that Kuroro's description of his face being redder than his eyes was not an exaggeration at all. He really felt like burying himself somewhere – anywhere, right now.

Again, Kuroro laughed at the expression that the boy displayed in front of him. He seemed to be laughing too much, too much that he honestly feel that it is somewhat soiling the reputation he had kept up for years. But he could not care. He never really cared before – of what others may think of him, of how many lives he took, of the owners of the things he stole. He does care for his comrades and their missions but only in a professional manner or rather the way a leader cares for his subjects and their well being. He could not remember caring more than that. But right now, he does care for one thing. And that thing is currently getting furiously red in front of him.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Kurapika", Kuroro said, as soon as he had recovered from his laughs and before the Kuruta can get angry again at him. "You had no sleep last night and I do not think that you had a single night of good sleep inside that dungeon you were in when I found you, so expect your body to seek for the rest it so desperately needs. And I told you earlier, I only lent you my shoulder because I don't think your head can withstand anymore bumps against that window."

Kurapika decided against himself to argue against the man anymore. Instead, with the man's permission, he got out of the compartment to the open end of the train. He leaned on the sturdy metal frame and faced the scenery that always seemed to be left behind by the train he was on. The sun was already setting and a single star became visible near the horizon. The trees kept on obscuring it, but nevertheless, Kurapika knew it was there.

Seeing a single star in the indigo sky while he is all alone and feeling nothing but the wind on his face, reminded him of the times when he was travelling all by himself for a whole five years – before he even knew that he had the right to have friends. It feels so nostalgic – him staring at the single star near the horizon, which resembled him so much. A single star left by his companions in the darkness of the evening heavens must have felt the same way as he does – the last Kuruta surviving the bloody darkness of the massacre.

Six years ago, when the images of his dead tribesmen and the pain of being left all alone in the world were still fresh, the only things that stood between him and death was his thirst for revenge and the urge of retrieving his clan's lost treasures. Right now, he felt that fate was not yet done in twisting his life for the worse. He could not believe that with the current turn of events, instead of dealing with his vows, he would be seated beside the man who caused all his anger and grief, like a tamed animal who would submit to his every whim.

'Once I am sure that my friends are already safe', Kurapika thought to himself, 'I will continue upon where I left and destroy the Genei Ryodan for sure, even if it cost me my life. Right now, dear ancestors, forgive me. I cannot put my friends' lives in danger. A lot of lives had been lost already. But worry not. It may be true that my vow to you had to wait but I will never forget it. Right now, I must hold back until the right moment comes…'

"Here", Kuroro suddenly spoke from behind him.

He felt the presence of the man coming but the cold voice that had even conquered the chill of the current breeze was the one that shocked him. It must be instinct or his recollection of his vow that had been responsible for his reaction. He quickly turned around, eyes terribly red, his chains materializing even before he called them and his aura whipping venomously around him, as if ready to kill at first touch.

Fortunately for Kuroro, the boy was able to control his aura even before it touches the man. Kuroro on the other hand, was a bit taken aback by the fact that the boy was able to release and then contain, in the same instant, such an enormous amount of aura. However, he felt quite sure that the boy would not hurt him or rather, not yet, so he continued on his cause nevertheless.

Kurapika, on the other hand, was a bit shocked but he composed himself immediately and decided to think about the matter later.

"It will be cold soon", he continued while handing the boy a black denim jacket lined with gray stitches. "I bought this back in the market while we were waiting for this train. Wear it."

The redness of the boy's eyes gradually faded as he took the jacket and wore it over his shirt – again, a white long-sleeved shirt.

"The Duke seemed to provide you with only white shirts and jeans. With the temperature in that dungeon, he should have at least given you thicker pieces of clothing or darker colored ones to keep the warmth", Kuroro said sighing disapprovingly.

"There had been a heater in that dungeon. But the door you kicked had crushed it into nothingness before you even saw it", Kurapika replied tonelessly as he buttoned the jacket to his chest.

"When we get to the next city, I have to find you some thicker trousers", Kuroro said, not minding the boy's last reply.

'Right now, I have to put up with this man…' Kurapika said to himself as he saw Kuroro heading back to their compartment before clutching his own chest and silently praying that his friends would not think like themselves even just for now.

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Leorio could not take it anymore.

"Let's get him out of there already!" he yelled, shocking the hell out of the two youngsters beside him who were both innocently watching television.

"LEORIO!" Killua bellowed back. "We already talked about this, didn't we?"

"YES! But I am NOT comfortable with Kurapika staying there! And I will NEVER be comfortable with him staying THERE!" the older man screeched, pointing his finger to nowhere in particular.

"Me too", Gon said, interrupting the incoming fight between his two friends. "I will never be comfortable while Kurapika is staying with them, but I believe in Killua's assumptions. I know Kurapika will be OK."

"WHAT?!" Leorio yelled again, his hands are tearing quite an amount of hair from his head as he gaped disbelievingly at the spiky-haired boy. "Not you too, Gon!"

"Old man, stop being a-", Killua was about to shoot an insult to Leorio again just to calm the older man down, however, he stopped in midsentence and clutched his chest.

Gon and Leorio who were thinking of the same thing, immediately jumped to his side and worriedly called simultaneously, "Killua!"

Killua did not reply. He was deathly pale now, his eyes wide open.

"Oh my God!" Leorio exclaimed worriedly, grabbing Killua and laying the boy down. Doctor's instincts started to kick into him, "Gon get water fast!"

Gon, who was also shock, heard the order and dashed into the kitchen, to get a glass of water. It barely took him a second before he appeared beside Leorio holding a glass of water, his eyes were teary and his voice was in the verge of crying. "Are you all right?"

Killua remained in his motionless state, pale and not breathing. Leorio pushed the glass of water against his lips but the boy did not even move. The older man decided to empty the glass of water to the boy's face instead.

"KILLUA!" Leorio called out.

The boy's eyes suddenly widened before he was able to exhale and then cough. He immediately relaxed while lying down and continued to feel his chest – just where his heart is.

"WHAT IN THE WORLD HAPPENED?" Leorio asked loudly, while wiping his heavily sweating forehead by the sleeve of his shirt. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah… I think", Killua whispered his reply barely audible for his friends.

"I'll get some more water", Gon exclaimed as soon as he was sure that Killua had started to breathe regularly again.

Leorio collapsed on the floor just beside the still lying Killua, sighing with great relief and still sweating with anxiety and concern. Gon, on the other hand, had just emerged back from the kitchen carrying a pitcher and three glasses on a tray. His eyes are watery, but they shone more with relief than worry. He laid the tray beside Leorio before pouring water on every glass.

Leorio was the first one to recover in the scene. He suddenly realized a possibility and would definitely voice it out, his own heart almost aching with the heaviness of his own heartbeats.

"Killua…" Leorio started, fear and worry were very much evident in every square inch of his being. "What did you feel? Had something happened with your heart?", he asked, his voice shaking.

Killua was still white with shock. "Yes… I guess", he replied, clutching his chest to feel his heartbeat closer. He was sure of it. Something DID happen.

Gon came to the same realization as Leorio. "Kurapika…" he uttered, but Killua was quick to realize the meaning of his look.

"He is still alive", Killua said reassuringly. He smiled weakly while still clutching his chest and wiping his face dry, making sure if the Nen of their friend was still there. "I can still feel his chains."

"What was THAT idiot thinking?" Leorio suddenly bellowed angrily again.

"No… I don't think he meant it", Killua replied quietly as he sat down to drink the water offered by Gon. "It was just a warning squeeze. It did not hurt at all but I was hell-shocked! I really thought that it was the end, but, like I said, it was just a warning…"

"I think Kurapika must have tried to disobey a condition", Leorio finally calmed down and concluded, his worries for the silver-haired boy had finally lessened but it increased significantly for their missing friend.

"Kurapika would not disobey or even try because he knew very well that Killua would be in trouble", Gon replied, his round brown eyes were reflecting his deep thoughts. "I think he was forced to do something he does not really like. Then he thought twice…"

"What were the conditions given to him again?" Leorio suddenly asked, the need to confirm came on top of his priorities right now.

"Kurapika should obey everything that the Spiders' leader says and he should not commit suicide to lift his Nen from me", Killua replied, trying to guess the older man's line of thought. "Why?"

"What if, Gon's right?" Leorio said, his brows furrowing and his voice filled with uneasiness. "What if Kurapika is forced to do something he really, really disliked, then he nearly refused?"

"He will still do it", Gon replied, looking rather confused. "No matter how much he hated it, he will still do it."

"That's my point Gon", Leorio said as calmly as possible, "I'm wondering what that devil made Kurapika do."

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"We're finally here", Kuroro spoke, breaking the boy's musings about his friends.

He followed the older man silently, without a single word, until they were finally out of the train and simply making their way out of the small and very ancient station. He had been thinking about his friends when he was cut off his thoughts by the man's announcement. He was quite worried right now, about what had happened to him just an hour ago when he nearly unconsciously attacked Kuroro – with a deep intention to kill. The man had ordered him not to kill any Genei Ryodan members during the night that he was forced to be a prisoner in exchange for his friends' lives. But Kuroro had already mentioned back in the Duke's mansion that the previous orders were cancelled, and there was no other order given to him except for a simple things and a nightly and daily 'Don't escape from me', before the man slept in the inn. Does this mean that his chains understood that the man meant only the orders referring to the Duke were to be cancelled? It is possible. But if that is true, then he really had to comply to everything word per word because that only means that his chains now obey Kuroro's orders and not his. This could be the unknown effect of the first condition – "You, Kuruta, should obey my every order." Right now, it seems that his chains were stricter than he thought them to be.

"You don't look fine", Kuroro said, noticing the troubled eyes of the blond kid beside him.

"Mind your own business", Kurapika hissed, definitely annoyed at the man's attempts to read his every move and expression.

The man was not surprised with the sudden hostility; instead, it somehow reassures him that nothing really bad happened to the boy in the Duke's mansion. At first, he was extremely worried that his Kuruta had undergone some terrible events that may tamper his personality; after all, it was what he liked most of the boy, next to his eyes – his fierceness, coldness, shrewdness and at the same time, his vulnerability.

"Like what I've told you earlier, we are here to find clothes", Kuroro reminded the boy when he was sure that the youth had nearly drifted back into his own thoughts again.

"You said we'll only look for trousers", Kurapika retorted for the sake of annoying the man. Unfortunately for him, Kuroro was far from annoyed; he was instead, eyeing him with interest – as if he said something really bright. "The things the Duke gave me are just fine, anyway."

"I hated everything that the Duke gave you. That is why we would be looking for shirts and everything else", Kuroro explained heavily as he walked ahead to lead the boy to their destination.

Grudgingly, Kurapika trailed behind, wishing to say something – anything, he commented, "Not one of the things I own is dangerous to someone like you. Why even bother?"

Kuroro halted on his steps and turned around to face the Kuruta. "I just wanted to get rid of everything that pervert had given you. Everything, Kurapika", he said, the tone of his voice became suddenly dead serious that Kurapika did not even considered crossing the man now with another word. However, he somehow felt that the other was being quite aggressive every time the Duke becomes the topic of their not-so-friendly conversations. He wanted to know why, but now is not the time.

"Don't speak about him anymore Kurapika", Kuroro continued, his cold, dark eyes pierced against Kurapika's blue ones, giving the younger one a feeling of being somewhat threatened. "He is not important anymore and I have freed you from him already. In fact, he is already dead, so do not bring him up again."

Kurapika's eyes widened with shock at the man's words. He was now sure that Kuroro killed the Duke back in the mansion. He was indeed grateful – no matter how he denies it, for Kuroro because it was the man who rescued him from further humiliation anyway. And right now, whenever the subject of the Genei Ryodan leader's heroic deed of saving him like some damsel-in-distress comes up, he could not help but feel a sudden unknown and definitely unwanted emotion inside his chest. He was a foreigner on such emotion but no matter how his 'Chain-Guy' persona brands the feeling as 'unwanted', he could not imagine it as being negative at all. He feels a small tinge of guilt inside of him, upon the confirmation of the Duke's death, but the feeling of relief – because at least someone came to save him from probable molestations, drowned everything else. It was just unlikely and very much difficult to imagine that his savior was the man he hated most.

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Their destinies could not be crooked a little more than it is right now. Two individuals, who once decided to do everything for the complete annihilation of the other, were walking side by side as if they were the closest of friends. Mortal enemies who both wishes only for the worst of the other, yet now, here they are. It is unthinkable and totally absurd, but right now, it is the truth.

It seems as if their fates could not be twisted anymore than what it is. But if one looks closer and peers deeper in the realities of their pulses, their verses, their thoughts and their own predicaments, their fates can not only be twisted, it can also be knotted.

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"Put these on", Kuroro ordered, handing the boy a white turtleneck sweatshirt, dark and fitted trousers, and another black jacket – probably the last pieces for this shopping session.

Kurapika rolled his eyes but he took the items anyway. He entered the fitting room and put on everything wordlessly. He decided not to argue anymore so that the silly shopping spree would finally end. He was terribly reminded of his former employer, the bratty Neon Nostrad, and her antics whenever they were out shopping. Those were not really bad memories, just sickeningly irritating ones.

A smile crept upon his face as he remembered his colleagues back when he worked as a Nostrad bodyguard. He imagined Bashou – the mustached poet, who was nearly killed when the man became a hostage of the Genei Ryodan, cursing under his breath with annoyance at Neon's high-pitched laughs and screeches. He thought of Senritsu – the woman music hunter with incredible hearing, as she calms everyone, including the temperamental brat as their boss, whenever the boss's tantrums broke loose during shopping.

He adjusted the jacket better on his back before showing himself at Kuroro who simply smiled at the sight. The man paid for the items and asked Kurapika to change into them for real right now because he wanted the boy out of the clothes that some disgusting aristocrat had provided.

"We can finally get rid of your trash", the man said as they left the building right after stopping in front of a huge trash bin where Kuroro dropped the boy's bag and everything inside, in it – save for the boy's tribal attire which is now safely stored by one of Kuroro's stolen abilities.

"What's with you and black?" Kurapika suddenly blurted as they were walking on the streets of the city, wearing his new clothes.

Kuroro blinked with surprise at the seemingly innocent question. Of course, the Kuruta does not keep his mouth shut all day long. The boy would, at least once a day, ask a thing or two, just to spit out all the sarcasm, curses and every other evil thought that he wanted and needed to release. He decided to answer anyway despite his expectation that the conversation would turn to be an argument soon.

"Nothing much", Kuroro replied. "I prefer it because it is a color which I can easily get away with, no matter what I wear and also, because it never goes out of style."

Kurapika looked at the man with curiosity flickering in his eyes. He had expected a more complicated answer – like the usefulness of the color especially when blending in crowds or in shadows, the warmth it provides during cold weather, a reflection of personality and the like. "Oh…" he heard himself replying.

"What do you expect?" Kuroro asked, still befuddled at the sudden question about his taste in style.

"Much more really", Kurapika answered. His more-serious-vengeful side felt guilty for initiating such a mundane conversation with the brain behind all of his sufferings. However, the question that he had asked had been itching in the back of his mind for ages already and had only escaped from his mouth earlier when he noticed the dominant shade of the clothes bought for him.

They walked in a small restaurant and sat down to order their dinner. Kurapika could not believe it that Kuroro was actually capable of living a single crime-free day. He expected the man, whenever they are not together, to be plotting and scheming for another mission or ordering the deaths of other innocent people, but it seems that everything he thought about the man had been proven wrong one at a time. It does not change a bit of the fact that this man is still the leader of the group that killed everyone in his tribe though.

"What is your favorite color Kurapika?" Kuroro inquired this time, as soon as he had sent their order to the waiter.

Kurapika felt his jaw dropping with the question. He secretly considered slapping the man back to his senses because the Kuroro Lucifer that he had known would NEVER ask such stupid questions.

'This couldn't get any stupider, could it?' he thought.

"It sounds dumb right?" Kuroro said, after seeing the state of Kurapika's face. "Consider this question as the simplified version of your inquiry earlier. Now answer me."

Kurapika shook his head and decided that he still needs to relax every now and then.

"Red?" Kurapika answered, his voice doubting.

"You're not sure?"

"Nope."

"Why red then?" Kuroro asked, pushing the subject with the childlike curiosity that Kurapika had only witnessed in Gon.

"I don't know. Maybe because of the eyes?"

"You don't like blood right?"

Kurapika nodded slightly, seeing the logic that trailed from the question of the color to blood. Now that he thought about it, he felt like he was sounding irrational. He liked the color red, but not the redness of blood. Red brings back the memories of the massacre where everything is covered with blood. The color brings nightmares, so why does he like it in the first place?

He considered the thought deeply. He never realized a simple question can launch him into such thoughts.

Maybe because red is the color of the eyes that he must obtain. Maybe it was because red reminds him of his vow of vengeance. And since the thoughts strengthened his will to live to fulfill the oath he uttered before the graves of his kinsfolk, he favored the color that reminds him most of them.

"Because, it reminds me of my path…" Kurapika answered truthfully, meeting the man's emotionless gaze in front of him.

"Vengeance", Kuroro said in almost a whisper. "It is evident in your eyes, even while they are blue."

"It will forever be there", Kurapika uttered, his voice colder than ever.

"I would like you to forget about it someday", the man suddenly said, his tone had suddenly become genuinely warm and almost… gentle.

"Don't count on it Lucifer", Kurapika said curtly as he averted his gaze from the man to the glass window beside them. He could not stare at the man's eyes anymore because right now, he could see beyond those dazzling orbs, neither the devil nor the monster that he considered Kuroro to be, but rather, a human – a flesh and blood, caring and worrying human.

It worries him that after everything that the man had done for him, and for the range of possible things that the man might do for him, he fears that there would come a day when he could not hate Kuroro Lucifer anymore. And right now, if the events continue upon their sequence, when the man continues to treat him like this, everything that he had worked so hard for to obtain will be destroyed. Everything that he had believed in, everything that restrains him from joining his kin in the afterlife, would perish. And if ever this may be the case, he will rather wish to perish with them.

'You're not a very good liar, Kurapika', Kuroro thought to himself, as he observed the frail figure of the boy before him. 'You will cease to hate soon. And I will do everything that I can to prevent you from killing yourself once you noticed it.'

The two of them ate in silence right after that. They left the restaurant as Kuroro paid the bill and headed for the nearest hotel. It was confirmed right now that Kuroro does not have any plans in leaving that country just yet.

"You stay here for the night, understand?" Kuroro spoke to him for the first time ever since they left the restaurant. "Don't try to go anywhere. I'll be back before midnight. If there's an emergency, I will know immediately, so don't worry too much."

Kurapika simply nodded at the man's words. He sat at his bed as he watched the man unwrap all of their belongings which were safely contained by the man's stolen skill – Fun Fun Cloth.

"Where will you go?" Kurapika heard himself ask.

"Worried?"

"NO WAY!"

Kuroro smiled at the boy's defensiveness. He never planned to answer the boy though. "Good night, Kurapika", he said before leaving the boy alone.

As soon as the man left, he took a bath and readied himself for sleep. It had been a long day and finally, he can go to sleep, without worrying that there would be dark emotionless eyes staring at him from across the room and with no enemy's shoulders to accidentally lean on.

He buried himself in the blanket and allowed himself to drown in his dreams.

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The night sky was absolutely cloudless and dotted with stars. A bright full moon loomed above him as he stood upon the roof of a rundown building. Here he can easily observe his target without the latter noticing him.

There was a noticeable movement from one end of the street. Kuroro hid himself in the shadows as he observed the view below. A group of men walked from one end of the street to another, not noticing the quiet stalker above them. There were six Nen-users all in all and on their lead was quite a strong one – nothing Kuroro could not handle by himself, of course, but he must not take any chances. After all, he had not known the full extent of his opponent's abilities yet.

He had been informed the previous week by Shalnark – before he left to retrieve Kurapika, that on the same country, not far from where the Duke of Reinfield's mansion is located, lays the mansion of yet another rich person. However, this person does not folly upon the beauty of wild beasts or endangered species such as a blond Kuruta, but rather, his obsession lies on collecting gems.

At first, he almost lost interest when Shalnark mentioned that it was only a rumor, but when he obtained the name of the gem currently under the man's possession, he could not help but try to see it for himself. He was on his way to the mansion, when he noticed the said nobleman walking out of the city's casino surrounded by a bunch of Nen-users. He felt that killing every one of them would not be a problem; however, he is not a rash person and would rather take action as dictated by a fool-proof plan. Well, he is GENERALLY not rash, unless a certain red-eyed blond boy was the one in trouble.

Anyway, he decided that as much as he can, he would not involve the Kuruta in this situation. He was very much aware that the authorities had already been alerted that a certain very expensive pretty boy with blond hair and blue eyes had been missing from a Duke's mansion leaving most, if not everyone, of its inhabitants and guests dead. He could not afford and would not forgive himself if he were to put the boy in trouble and lose him again, so he decided to leave the kid in the Hotel and investigate by himself.

Right now, there is nothing more he can do. The information he obtained was enough for the night and he shall think of a plan to move on to the next step by morning. He headed back to the hotel, running, leaping and hopping over the rooftops as he usually does with the rest of the Genei Ryodan. He finally reached the hotel before midnight and headed to the building's main door because he knew it would be quite suspicious if he does not log his name in the lobby and someone sees him inside.

He opened the room with his keys and entered inside where he found his companion sleeping peacefully and snuggled on one side of his bed. Kuroro noticed that even though the bed was made for a single person only, the Kuruta's slender frame just made it possible for two. Kuroro sat on the other unoccupied half of the small bed to observe the boy closely. He had not lost his fascination for the sleeping boy yet who he finds to be interesting even in his slumber. Kuroro could not really understand what is amusing about the boy when he is asleep, but nevertheless, he could not help but stare at him.

Kurapika turned to the other side, facing Kuroro. The man feared that he might accidentally wake up the boy again so he jumped back immediately out of the boy's line of sight if ever the youngster would open his eyes. He can still remember the event of the previous night, when he was doing the same – observing the boy in his sleep. The blond turned, opened an eye and caught him staring. The boy literally jumped out of bed and positioned himself in a defensive stance, definitely feeling threatened. He apologized with his eyes but the boy was too paranoid to go back to sleep. So, he decided to sleep first, hoping that when the blond is assured that he was off to dreamland and not a threat, then the boy would finally go to sleep too. However, to his disappointment, the blond had not fallen asleep again, turning him into a pale, grumpy, exhausted but still very interesting travelling companion. Fortunately, the second train had enough room for the youngster to sleep, but then again, Kuroro hated it when the blond spent the whole morning with dark lines under his eyes.

The man stared a little bit more at the blond who looks very much like a kitten who curled himself into a ball. Kuroro nearly laughed at himself with such a lame comparison, but it was the closest he can come up with at the moment.

He finally decided to get some rest too. He paced towards a corner of the room, took off his coat and hung it on the coat hanger. Then he unbuttoned his shirt and folded it neatly before dropping it in the laundry basket. He then grabbed a towel just beside the basket before going into the bathroom for a quick warm bath.

He went straight to the tub after seeing that turning on the lights was not necessary, and turned the faucet on. He smiled with relief that the sound of the water was too quiet for his sleeping roommate to hear. He then stood beside the tub and waited until the warm water filled it up to the desirable level. Kuroro then took off everything that was left on his body – even the bandage on his forehead, and stepped in the tub to lie down and contemplate on mundane things for a while, closing the curtain that separates the tub from the rest of the bathroom afterwards.

He was enjoying the warmth of the water and the foam of the soap in the small bathtub when he heard the bathroom door creak open.

Kuroro knew exactly what was happening. His companion had been too sleepy to notice that he was there. Since he made it a point to use Zetsu whenever he is in the hotel, unless he has something else to do which requires Nen, the Kuruta must have not known that he was already there if the boy did not care to look at the coat hanger and the laundry basket.

'He must have thought that I'm not here yet', Kuroro thought as he lay as motionless as possible. He was determined not to scare the boy out of his wits by making himself discovered in the bathtub, especially right now when the other is still half-asleep.

It was a good thing that the curtain of the bathroom was thick enough to be opaque and that he left the lights of the bathroom off since the moon by the window was bright enough. Behind the curtain, he heard everything that was happening on the other side – the boy woke up for a moment to use the bathroom and left within seconds, not even lasting a single minute; from the moment the door opened to the second he flushed the toilet and left.

Kuroro sighed with relief as soon as the boy was outside the bathroom, but it had been too soon.

He heard the sound of something breaking on the bedroom. Out of instinct and sheer paranoia that something might have happened to the boy, he leaped out of the bathtub, grabbed the towel from nowhere, then wrapped it around his waist and rushed outside the door nearly bumping the boy's crouching figure.

Right in front of him, he saw the blond picking up the broken pieces of a drinking glass from the floor. It seems that the boy's sleepiness had led him to be unwary of the surroundings, thus accidentally hitting and breaking the glass of water that was placed at the edge of the small round table. The sound of the breaking glass must have woken the boy totally though, but the sight of him leaping into the scene with nothing but the towel on must have been too much.

The boy dropped every piece that he had picked and then screamed, "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?!"

Kuroro realized that he had put both of them in a very embarrassing situation – very amusingly embarrassing situation.

"I was taking a bath", Kuroro replied, hiding the amused grin that was working its way to his face.

"But I used the bathroom just-" the blond stopped in midsentence, realizing what he had just done.

"Kurapika, just forget about this and don't pick the pieces with yo-"

"You're IN the bathroom when I used it?" Kurapika asked as if the world around him was crashing apart.

Kuroro lost the fight against his grin and he replied, while smiling toothily, "Yes."

Kurapika collapsed to the floor, barely missing the shattered pieces of glass. He had his mouth open with shock and it was clear even with the limited light provided by the moon outside that he is getting paler.

Kuroro decided to leave the scene there, so that the boy would not have further brain damage. He headed from another corner of the room where the dust pan and the broom is and still, with only a towel around him on, he proceeded on cleaning the broken glass to prevent his now nearly-unconscious companion from injuring himself when he collapses again.

He dumped the broken glass pieces to the trash can then decided on heading back to the bathroom.

"Y-you did not see a-anything, did you?" Kurapika asked. He was still on the floor and stammering with his words while getting whiter.

Kuroro was now worried that the boy actually thought of him as some sort of low-class peeper. He sighed deeply before replying, "No Kurapika, I didn't see anything", he explained. "I was behind the thick curtain and enjoying my warm bath when you entered. I realized that you did not know I was inside so I decided not to make myself discovered because I know you would not forgive yourself when you realize that you just barged in a bathroom occupied by someone else."

The boy remained silent so he decided to continue. "Forget about it Kurapika. It was not your fault anyway because I was the one who did not lock the bathroom door. Now, calm down and get back to your bed", he said, realizing that relieving the Kuruta from the responsibility of the consequences of his inattentiveness was the only way to calm the boy down.

Kurapika finally realized his overreaction so he immediately stood up and walked towards his bed – just as Kuroro told him. He needed to forget about the embarrassing event. And sleeping seemed the only possible way. He lay down and threw his thick blanket over him quickly, clearing all of his thoughts away – desperate to fall asleep.

Kuroro headed back in the bathroom to continue his rudely interrupted bath. He remained there for a few more minutes until he got up to call it a night. He rinsed himself – as quietly as possible, then dried himself with a towel. He then grabbed another one – the one he used earlier when he burst out of the bathroom to accidentally embarrass a certain blond boy he had for a roommate, and wrapped it securely around his waist.

He then gathered the trousers and everything he took off from his body earlier before he stepped in the tub, folded just beside the tub itself and walked outside. As he did to his shirt, he dropped the neatly-folded dirty laundry on the basket. Then he headed towards the small cabinet where he had stored the things he retrieved from his Fun Fun Cloth to find something to wear. He finally obtained what he was looking for and decided not to dress in the room but do it in the bathroom instead. He understood very well what will happen if the blond accidentally wakes up again and catches him naked. It would be a disaster for the boy again, so no matter how interesting the idea seems for him, he decided against it and walked back to the bathroom to dress himself up.

He did everything necessary for the night – getting dressed, brushing his teeth and drying his hair, before finally lying down on his bed to sleep, facing the already slumbering blond kid's back.

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The next morning, Kuroro pretended that nothing happened the previous night. He actually thought that the boy might really kill himself this time when he would be reminded of the embarrassing event of last night. Thinking about it, the boy had done – not without his huge and non-accidental contribution of course, a lot of things to embarrass himself yesterday.

Kuroro got out of bed immediately to prepare for the day. He stood up from his bed and went to the cabinet to draw some clothes. As soon as he was able to pull out the pieces, he stepped inside the bathroom to change, again, reminding himself of the amusing event last night. This time, even though his playful side was much against it, he locked the bathroom door just to be sure.

He stepped out of the bathroom just in time to be greeted by the innocent gleam of Kurapika's blue eyes. Their gazes locked for a moment before the boy was pushed away from it by a yawn. Kuroro took the chance to walk out of a possible argument and headed towards the cabinet to find hangers for the still clean clothes that he had just changed from.

Kurapika, on the other hand, stood up from his bed, tidied it and fluffed the pillows before heading towards the same cabinet to find clothes. Before he reached it though, Kuroro had already given him the pieces of clothing he wanted the boy to wear.

"Wear this", Kuroro said. The statement sounded more like an order so the boy was forced to comply.

Kurapika took the clothes from the man's arm and headed for the bathroom. Kuroro, on the other hand, waited for the blond to come out. He decided to have breakfast together with the kid, hoping that somehow, using this little chances and turning them into daily routines, the boy might someday soften up to him because right now, no matter what his subjects may say about it, he is determined to keep the Kuruta. The only question left hanging and unanswered, except from the 'missing-but-found thing', was whether keeping the boy an opportunity for the Spiders or for himself.

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Kuroro stood up from his bed which he had sat on while waiting for the boy, and headed towards him. As soon he was standing in front of the boy, he realized what had troubled him when he saw the kid emerge from the bathroom; the collar of the boy's shirt was a bit creased. Instinctively, he reached out for the boy's shirt collar and straightened it.

Kurapika was shocked with the action because Kuroro's hand movement was too fast even without Nen – a trait probably acquired through years of stealing. The man had been gentle with the action and Kurapika barely felt it, but nevertheless, the sight of a hand swinging with such speed while it is dangerously near his throat was, well, threatening.

"Relax, Kurapika", Kuroro said, his voice in almost a murmur. "You know very well that I have totally no plans of hurting you."

Kurapika did not reply this time. Except for the fact that he was too shocked to reply, he was troubled with the man's voice. It is just too gentle for someone like Kuroro Lucifer. He had heard the man's voice a lot of times before, and the same voice tried to be tender back when the man forced him to use his chains on Killua. But it is a lot different this time. Back then, he sensed the evil purpose of the man for faking his voice, while this time, Kuroro's gentleness just seems too genuine – too genuine to be the Kuroro Lucifer he knew.

"Are you all right, Kurapika?" Kuroro asked, looking a bit troubled. The Kuruta had literally stopped everything, including his own breathing, for quite a while now. The boy seems to be in deep thought – in a deep and problematic thought, as he sees it.

"Huh?" Kurapika replied, finally noticing that he had drifted to his thoughts longer than necessary. "Yes…"

"Are you sure?" Kuroro asked again, this time he pulled the boy's chin to confirm the response through the boy's eyes.

"Get off me!" Kurapika screeched, trying to swat the man's hand away.

Kuroro anticipated the action and caught Kurapika's hand just in time. He smiled that finally, his Kuruta is acting the way he should be – fierce and defensive. "Good", Kuroro said, still smiling. "Now that I am sure that you are back to your true self, let us go down to eat breakfast."

Kurapika rolled his eyes with the man's annoyingly genuine smile – annoyingly genuine and unbelievably handsome smile. He shivered, gasped and mentally kicked himself with the description he had just given to Kuroro's smile. When he regained his composure, however, he was met by the man's questioning look again. He decided not to argue anymore but the man was not letting go of his hand, instead, Kuroro was dragging him with it. "My hand-"

"Oh!" Kuroro instantly replied, he was still unconsciously holding the boy's hand. He let go of it at the very moment and apologized with his eyes.

Kurapika narrowed his eyes with suspicion as the man walked ahead of him towards the hotel's café. 'What is he up to, now?' he mused, 'He is acting way out of himself lately. Well, I really hoped that he did not rescue me just to sell me to another twisted monarch who would pay better!'

He felt himself tensing up with the thought and the man in front of him, currently seated just across him in a small round table, must have felt it too.

Kuroro realized that his Kuruta is currently displaying a very aggressive and unbelievingly strong aura in front of him, even though the boy's eyes remains on their calm blue state. He was surprised at first, but then he thought that with his eyes in crimson state, the boy can definitely and quite easily exceed a Genei Ryodan standard when it comes to aura-strength alone. However, noticing that even normal people around them had felt the aura, since they were shrugging and chatting as if some horrible evil spirit had just been around to haunt them, he decided to calm the boy down.

"Kurapika, you're scaring the people away", he uttered simply as he drank his coffee.

"I don't really care right now Kuroro Lucifer", Kurapika replied unblinkingly, reminding Kuroro how he, himself, must have looked when he is feeling incredibly cruel.

Kuroro saw it, with Gyo, he witnessed the boy's aura lash and whip with impatience around him, as if only waiting for the boy to tell them to attack him. "I would like to know what had gotten to you that you suddenly became exceedingly bloodthirsty", he said, leaning forward with his chin resting on the back of his hands.

"What are you planning to do with me?" Kurapika asked silently, but the emphasis he injected in every word was enough to tell Kuroro that it was only the Zoldyck boy's life being on the line that keeps Kurapika from killing him. "Sell me again for a higher profit?"

Kuroro realized why the youngster had suddenly started becoming grumpy. He sipped down his coffee again and smiled charmingly at the boy before replying, "No, I have no plans of selling you to anyone anymore. Actually, the thought that I just did it weeks ago, makes me sick", he said casually. "You are too precious to be sold Kurapika. That is why I plan to keep you with me."

Kurapika felt his ears getting red with anger. He could not hold it anymore. "DO YOU THINK I AM JUST SOME KIND OF OBJECT THAT IS TO BE APPRAISED? EVALUATED FOR MY MONETARY VALUE?!" he said, standing up and knocking down the chair he was sitting on into splinters. His eyes glowed horribly crimson against his pale skin.

Kuroro noticed that everyone in the café was staring at them. Fortunately, there were only a few people left in the café because the majority was driven out of the place by Kurapika's murderous aura. And all of them just thought that they were simply a couple quarreling over personal things that need not be meddled at.

Kuroro ignored the stares that were shot to them from all over the café, instead, he sighed before replying. "Kurapika, what I mean is that I should not have sold you. No, you are not an object and I am not evaluating you via monetary terms. Now get another chair and sit down before you drive everybody away from this place", he said as he pointed to another chair just behind Kurapika since the one he had been sitting at was destroyed beyond repair either by Kurapika's force when he stood up, or by his aura alone. Kuroro honestly believed that it had been the fault of the Kuruta's aura.

Kurapika knew the words were orders so he obeyed. However, his blood-red gaze did not change the situation even though he is already seated right now.

Kuroro decided that everything he had worked for to soften the blond will definitely come crashing down before him if he does not do what he is supposed to do right now. "Kurapika", he started. "I rescued you from the Duke because I was worried and I want you back. Honestly, I do not want to sell you anymore and if I could assure you one thing, then I would assure you that I would never sell you or give you away to anyone again. If anyone shall take you, you can be certain that I will get you back no matter what kind of hell I have to face. Because I simply wanted, or rather needed, you to be with me right now for a reason I, myself, do not know or even if I do, I do not understand. I hope that should be enough to calm you down for now", Kuroro said, his raven eyes locking with fading crimson ones.


	11. Striking Irony

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **The mission had turned out to be obtaining a very special gem. All was easy until it slowly turned into a nightmare. And finally, Hisoka appeared to reveal a few secrets.

**WARNINGS:** This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Sooo... There, XD, Hisoka had been forcefully inserted as a 'KEY' character on the next chapters. I mean, well, you'll see him getting in and out of scenes, dropping hints for the benefit of everyone in the area - very selfless... XD HAHAHA! He'll be really weird and really mysterious (as if he was not like that in the real manga/anime...) Anyway, what I mean is that you have to watch out for everyone's favorite jester, because if he is in a certain scene, he'll be dropping cues for everyone - reader and character alike. And since Hisoka's creepiness intrigued me, I decided to make him my own personal messenger! Killua, Machi, Shalnark and sometimes other Spiders were my puppets who always seem to enlighten everyone in a certain problematic scene. To tell you the truth, they did their jobs well and I had no trouble of getting them too way out of character because being like that had been their nature. But I guess everything will be more interesting when it came from the mouth of the Liar of All Liars, isn't it? -nasty grin-

Special thanks to the loyal readers and reviewers of this Fanfic! Thank you for keeping up with me and my story. Florallover, Naura Sakakibara, phppsmss, I owe you a lot. And to phppsmss, again, I cannot reply because there's no link, so I want to thank you personally right here XD. I appreciate that you called this fic high-standard -bows-!

I'll be gone for a few days that may lead to a delay in uploading Chapter 12, but do not fret, the Chapter was long done and just sitting around waiting for me to finish my scrupulous revisions. I'll be in touch with everyone through my profile, where I will post ALL announcements.

By the way, there was a mistake in Chapter 10. The phrase "Wear this", from Kuroro when he handed Kurapika the set of clothes to wear for the morning was supposed to be "Wear these". Sorry for the error! -faint-…

Anyway, off with the story!!! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 11**

**Striking Irony**

Kurapika felt his head swimming. He kept his eyes closed because even the simple task of opening them caused him a lot of pain in his head for a reason he does not know why. He recalled his thoughts from the moment he was still awake up to now. There had been a huge blank gap in his memory and he was quite sure that it is caused by his unconsciousness. He recollected every thought that he can right now and realized the last thing that had happened before he passed out.

"Kuroro…" he muttered to himself. He decided to feel for his forehead and his temples so that he could massage them and lessen the pain on the way but even before he could, he felt something warm over his forehead already.

"Are you all right now?" a familiar voice asked.

He immediately recognized the voice and forced his eyes to open.

"Don't", the voice said again as its owner's warm hand slid tenderly to cover his closed eyes. "You'll hurt yourself."

"What happened?" Kurapika asked, his voice barely audible but his companion, Kuroro, heard it.

"You passed out", Kuroro said simply, his hand still covering Kurapika's eyelids. "I really thought that you're going to die back then."

Kurapika held out his hand to take away the man's hand over his eyelids, but Kuroro's other hand caught his and pinned it beside him firmly.

"Just a little bit more", Kuroro said. "Wait until your eyelids are OK. I'll take my hands off once they are all right."

"Why did I pass out?" Kurapika asked as he recalled everything. He was sure that there is no acceptable reason for him to lose consciousness. His memory told him that one moment he was very angry with Kuroro then the next he felt his anger subsiding because of the man's words which he cannot remember right now, and that is the last of it. The next thing he knew was the darkness and the aching feeling of his head.

He heard the man sighing above him.

"Anger", Kuroro replied, taking off his hand from Kurapika's eyelids.

Kurapika slowly tried to open his eyes and after the blinding light had subsided, what he saw first was the man's raven-colored eyes which were lined by dark rings highly contrasting with the paleness of his face. Seeing the man this near could have freaked him out again, but somehow, seeing those dark rings makes him feel guilty. "Anger?" he asked blankly.

"You were so angry with me, you fainted" Kuroro replied, looking quite apologetic. He stood up from the chair he had been sitting and took a pillow from his bed before heading back beside the Kuruta. He then reached out and pulled the blond by his arm and positioned the pillow at the blond's back so that the boy can sit down comfortably.

Kurapika was surprised with the gesture but his head was still throbbing so he did not complain anymore. Instead, he asked the man again, "How long had I been unconscious?"

"Three days", Kuroro answered as he stared intently at his Kuruta. "I was really worried that something happened on your brain when you fainted so I have to look after you."

"You looked after me for three days?!" Kurapika blurted incredulously.

"Of course", Kuroro said casually. "I worked hard in bringing you back to me. Letting you die would be such a stupid idea, it was not even in my options."

Kurapika looked closer to Kuroro's face. It worsened the pain of his head but he knew he just had to. He leaned closer to the face of the man as if to clarify something. Kuroro, on the other hand, widened his eyes with surprise as he observes the Kuruta's face getting closer until the boy was already too close.

'Eyebags', Kurapika thought. The idea was confirmed when he leaned closer to take a better look at Kuroro's face. He paled slightly as he realized what those eyebags meant.

Kuroro blinked again before a naughty idea struck him. He grinned toothily as he voiced it out, "What are you trying to do Kurapika?"

"Just checking something…" Kurapika replied, not meeting his gaze instead, fisting the blanket fiercely as if the boy recalled something unacceptable.

"You just came too close that I thought you're about to kiss me..." Kuroro said teasingly. "I guess I was wro-"

"I'D RATHER DIE!" Kurapika screamed even before the man finished his statement, nearly tearing the blanket he had been holding. He can feel his face getting beet-red again and his headache surged so much that he thought his skull was splitting in half.

"Calm down Kurapika", Kuroro said, still grinning as he crossed his arms in front of him. "I was just kidding."

"I can't believe you just said that!" Kurapika hissed as he held his head again to somewhat ease the pain.

"Relax, or you'll faint again."

Kurapika grunted as a reply. He was now massaging his aching temples when he realized what he had been doing before the man came up with his twisted ideas. "You have eyebags", he simply pointed out, not meeting the man's raven-black eyes again.

He decided to keep the statement short and indirect since he knew that he might have wrong assumptions which if spoken out loud, can lead to another annoying tease. Actually, he was getting too much teasings from this man more than anyone else in his life. It is true that his friends voiced out all of their playful comments a lot when they were together, but Kuroro seemed to be using all possiblities to twist events into some kind of joke. He never expected that for a man with Kuroro's reputation, and also, because when he was still a prisoner of the Spiders, he never saw the man close to being a mischievous brat. And the way Kuroro acts when they were together was the opposite of what he views the man to be. All this time, he believed that Kuroro Lucifer is a cold-hearted thief and a ruthless mass-murderer. He even epected the man to pass the time killing everyone in sight, but it seems that Kuroro Lucifer is as simple as any other man whenever he was not around his subjects.

Presented with the same actions, he would have happily laughed or chased Kuroro around if they had known each other as friends, but in their case right now, Kurapika honestly feels that the man should not act like this. It simply destroys the perfect portrait of the devil named Kuroro Lucifer that Kurapika had painted for six years in his mind. Every bit of detail that Kurapika had added to the portrait was slowly being erased by Kuroro's acts, especially when he smiles genuinely or laughs truthfully. Kurapika feels as if his chains are being destroyed link per link whenever the sees and feels how honest Kuroro's face lightens whenever he throws Kurapika a small tease or whenever Kurapika does something fascinating for him and even when his eyes suddenly glows red. Sometimes, he even feels his jaw dropping whenever the man throws him an amazingly handsome smile and he knew very well that he have to be alert to keep his jaw in tact or there would be another teasing moment.

Even when the man saved him or voiced out his worries and concerns for him, Kurapika could not believe him. Days ago, he was so sure that Kuroro Lucifer was the vilest creature breathing on the face of the planet, but now, everything that the man said and did was so human and so not-very-Genei-Ryodan. And now, seeing the man's eyebags, which he took for a result of the man's sleeplessness while taking care of the unconscious him, he does not know what to think of the man anymore.

"Oh these", Kuroro replied as he stood up to head towards the door. "I told you, I have to look after you. And I could not sleep at all because I was too worried that you might die in your sleep."

Kurapika had to fight his jaw from dropping yet again and followed the man with his eyes since he could not possibly stand up with that terrible headache of him.

"You were not even moving for hours that anyone would have thought that you're dead already if they do not check your breathing or your pulse. It scared me like heck so I advice you right now to control your anger because another fainting bout like that and I will surely die with you because of fatigue", Kuroro said as he reached the doorknob. "It's not that I am giving you ideas on how to kill me, it was just an exaggeration, nevertheless…"The man turned the doorknob and stepped outside the room. He was about to close it when he ordered, with another of those amazingly charming smiles again, "Don't try to escape Kurapika", and then he closed the door gently.

Kurapika felt his face getting red as the man left the room with that disgustingly good-looking grin on his face. After a few moments, he realized what he was thinking and he mentally stabbed himself to death in his thoughts. Fighting the urge to summon his chains and speak his gratitude towards Kuroro by squeezing life out of him, he grabbed a pillow and threw it on the closed door instead. The sudden action gave him another bout of brain-splitting headache and he decided to lie down the bed to rest.

'This is not true!' he exclaimed in his head as his hands clutched his aching forehead. He was confused and scared to where these little thoughts of him might lead to.

The next moment, he heard the door being opened by the devil that had wormed his way easily to the most frightening parts of his subconsciousness – places which he did not even knew existed until just a few days ago.

Kuroro wheeled in the tray of food that he ordered for breakfast. He decided not to let any of the hotel staff to get in while he and the Kuruta are still in the room because of the known threat of authorities looking for the boy. The news had not announced anything about a missing Kuruta but he does not want to take any chances since he eyed a police car near the hotel's vicinity every now and then. However, he would let a staff member to get in to clean the room once a day, all the time during such visits, he would sit beside the sleeping Kuruta and cover him from the cleaner's sight. He made sure not to look too suspicious though and he was successful everytime to drive away all occasional stares to the boy by flashing a dashing debonair's smile at the female staff cleaning the room.

Today, just as he did everyday since Kurapika fainted, he would wheel in his breakfast and eat inside the room while watching over the Kuruta. However, today it will be a bit different because instead of a breakfast for one person only, he wheeled in food for two. He also made sure to add a few more because Kurapika had been unconscious for days without any meals and would definitely be starving right now.

"Breakfast", Kuroro said, as the boy flashed him a questioning look while lying down. "You have not eaten anything while you were unconscious, so I figured out that you must be hungry already."

Sure enough, Kurapika's stomach grumbled softly within him. He restrained himself from holding his aching intestines and thanked his own body for being so discreet because he could not think of anything right now to counter another tease from Kuroro if ever the man heard the grumbling of his deprived stomach.

Kuroro got one of the plates from the tray and piled bacon, eggs, toast, apple slices and grapes on top of it before handing it to Kurapika. He made sure that there were enough left on the other plate as he finished putting food in his own plate too, just in case the boy would want another serving. Then he handed Kurapika a spoon and a fork. He gestured the Kuruta to eat the food before proceeding into filling the boy's glass with milk from a pitcher in the tray.

Kurapika did not wait for further instructions and began eating his breakfast. In another situation, he would have wolfed down everything in his plate but he decided that he would not show how hungry he was in front of the man. Instead, he ate with the usual poise and etiquette anyone would expect from any highly educated diplomat.

Kuroro chuckled secretly with the boy's display in front of him. However, he decided not to tease anymore because it may ruin the boy's appetite, and he does not want a sickly Kuruta for now. He ate his own breakfast in silnce, sipping coffee from his cup every now and then as he eyed the boy beside him for any signs that may demand another serving of food. He realized then that no matter how hungry the boy is, he would never ask for another serving because of that stupid pride of his, so he decided that once the boy's plate becomes empty, he would fill it again by himself.

In the meantime, he thought about the treasure that he would be stealing tonight. For the past nights, as he was stuck beside Kurapika, he was not able to see what traps his next victim would have in store for him. Of course, he knew there would be nothing that he could not handle all by himself; however, he cannot leave the boy alone now because he decided to leave the country as soon as he got the gem in his hands. Obtaining the gem and then going back to the hotel to get the Kuruta would give enough time for his victim to report what happened to the authorities, who in turn, would block exits all over the country. Kuroro knew very well that it would not be hard to go over them but it would definitely take time and he had wasted wnough time already when he was doing nothing but sit beside the unconscious boy for three day – three days which could have been used to run away from everything. Anyway, he could not blame anyone right now so he simply made his mind that he should take Kurapika with him tonight.

"Kurapika", Kuroro started as he put his empty plate back in the tray and stole the boy's plate to pile the remaining food on it.

"Hmm?" Kurapika replied, raising one of his eyebrows as he munched on a toast. He decided not to argue as the man forcefully grabbed his almost empty plate to fill it again with food.

Kuroro politely handed him back his plate and relaxed his back on the chair. "We will leave tonight", Kuroro finally said, after sipping the last of his coffee from his cup.

Kurapika swallowed and then spoke, "OK", he said as he bit again on the toast.

"But before that, we would have to obtain something first" Kuroro replied, his eyes not leaving the boy.

Kurapika stiffened at the man's words. He definitely knew what those words meant. Obtaining something in Genei Ryodan terms meant stealing something. He stopped chewing his food and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Kuroro. As if expecting it, the man, on the other hand, grinned back at him.

"What are we 'obtaining?'" Kurapika asked his eyes still narrowed, remained on the man while he continued chewing on his food.

"A gem", Kuroro answered, as he handed the glass of milk to Kurapika. "It would be a very useful gem for someone like me."

Kurapika was stunned at the last statement. A useful gem? That only meant that the gem that Kuroro wanted has some sort of special abilities. He decided that since it is apparent that Kuroro is dragging him on this mission, it would not hurt to ask. "What kind of gem?" he asked, as he received the glass of milk from the man. He drank half of it immediately and then handed it back.

"An emerald", Kuroro replied simply. He wanted the boy to continue asking questions so he is not stating everything in one go.

Kurapika was more interested to know what is so special about this gem that they have to steal it tonight, so he does not care what Kuroro thinks about him meddling in immoral things such as stealing. "What is so unusual about this emerald, then?" he asked as he continued nibbling into the last of his toast.

"It is known as the Emerald of Hope", Kuroro answered. He was amazed to see the reaction in Kurapika's eyes. The boy's eyes shifted from being narrow with suspicion to wide with surprise. The next moment, he saw the bit of toast popping out of the boy's wide open mouth.

"The Emerald of Hope?!" Kurapika blurted out, his hands dropping the utensils to his plate.

"I can see that you knew about the gem", Kuroro said smiling. He is enjoying the look at Kurapika's face now.

"Of course," Kurapika replied, noticing that he had lost the poise that he had been displaying since breakfast started. "I have read about it. I never knew it was true." He then proceeded back on eating.

"Me too", Kuroro said, as he refilled the boy's half empty glass of milk. "But Shalnark confirmed just the night before yesterday that it is true and someone nearby holds possession of it."

"Shalnark was here?" Kurapika asked uncaringly. He was deeply hoping that none of the other Spiders was there to see him in his unconscious state.

"No", Kuroro replied. "I called him and asked him to snoop around for me because I cannot leave a very precious living artifact all alone for someone to steal."

Kurapika hissed at Kuroro who is now grinning toothily like a boy who had been rewarded with an exceptionally huge lollipop. He averted his gaze from the man and concentrated instead on ripping his bacon apart, as Kuroro chuckled beside him.

"Anyway, he told me that it is true and he gave me the address of the mansion", Kuroro said as soon as he felt that Kurapika was getting irritated again. "We will leave tonight to steal it before we return to my subjects."

"No blueprint?" Kurapika asked again as he finished the last shreds of his bacon.

"I told you I have to look after you", Kuroro replied as he got the empty plate from Kurapika's lap to put in the tray again. "I cannot entrust that to Shalnark, he had helped enough already. And this is not Genei Ryodan's business, it is somewhat personal."

Kurapika was a bit shocked at the reply. He had believed long ago that Kuroro's subjects were obliged to serve him as he had seen before – when he was still a prisoner of the Spiders, but it seems that their leader was somewhat indebted to them too. Something that he did not expect from Kuroro. Again, one of his assumptions had been shattered. Kuroro Lucifer feels gratitude towards people too.

"And that is why I need you", Kuroro said, still smiling at him. "Your dowsing chain would be very useful this time."

Kurapika was kicked off his thoughts and he rolled his eyes as a reply. This would be his first stealing job and worse, he will be doing it for the man he hated the most. On the other hand, the man he hated the most was now wiping off the traces of milk on his face.

"Don't touch me!" he screeched almost immediately, backing away from the man's hands.

Kuroro did not say anything but continued on grinning at him as he finished wiping the boy's face. "I never knew your face would be that smooth", he suddenly muttered. Unexpectedly, he was amazed at his own words but he managed not to show it.

Kurapika felt his cheeks getting red again but he will not allow Kuroro to see this. "W-what are you talking about?!"

"Don't be too flustered", Kuroro finally managed to say after he regained full control of his self. He decided that he will not let anything embarrassing to escape from his mouth again. "Take a bath and I will tell you the plan", he ordered, seeing that this is the only way to get the boy out of his sight for the meantime to pull himself together again.

Kurapika saw this as a chance to get out of another embarrassing situation so he slid out of bed and headed for the drawer to look for clothes before going to the bathroom. As soon as the boy had locked himself inside the bathroom to take a bath, he sank to his thoughts to reprimand himself about what he had just said.

'What were you thinking?' Kuroro asked himself as he wheeled the tray towards the corridor for a staff member to take care of. 'What was that about?' he asked again. It was clear that the words had literally escaped from his mouth. He had not thought about it and even if he had, he would not let it slip. The action was clearly unexpected and he could not put words into it. It seems that yet again, he had lost control of his actions, very much similar to the times that he was lost at thought in front of the other Genei Ryodan when he was thinking about the loss of the boy.

"This is not good…" he muttered to himself. It is certain that he is not aware of whatever is happening inside him. But although he is not sure of what is currently happening to him, the things that he had been doing and the emotions that he had been feeling is enough to theoretically sum up everything.

He had not felt or thought this way before, he was sure of that, but if everything that he had read about 'this' is correct, then it is safe to assume that he is…

"This is definitely not good…" he muttered again with a sigh as his gaze fell towards the closed and locked door of the bathroom.

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"A gem that would point towards your heart's deepest desires", Kurapika said as he roughly rubbed his wet hair with a towel. "Useful for bandits indeed", he said as his gaze fell towards the man who was now sitting across him on another bed.

Kuroro smiled again, it seems that the boy had already forgotten about what he had said earlier and he could not help but mentally sigh with relief. "Correct", he said. "I can see that you are very knowledgeable with such things. If I am not mistaken you are a Blacklist Hunter, not an Artifact Hunter."

Kurapika was finally finished with the towel so he raked his soft hair with his fingers. Amazingly for Kuroro, the boy's hair relaxed itself as if it had been brushed for hours. "I told you that I had read about it because I belived that finding my clan's eyeballs would be easy if I had it with me. Anyway, I am not after it anymore", he said as he neatly folded the towel to place it back in the bathroom.

"Why?" Kuroro asked. He realized that Kurapika was correct – finding the Kuruta's lost eyeballs will definitely be easier when you have something that will point you straight to it, so he was a bit confused when the boy told him that he is not after the gem anymore.

"Because it points towards your deepest desire", Kurapika replied, a small, nasty grin was appearing on his lips. Finally, he could say something that can prove that he is smarter than Kuroro Lucifer. "It would be useless for me."

Kuroro blinked at him simply, asking for explanation.

"It will be very much useful for bandits such as you because you wanted treasures. Therefore, it will definitely point towards whatever artifact you are looking for", he replied. "Finding my clan's eyeballs HAD been my deepest desire", he continued. "Right now, freeing my friend and killing you is my priority."

"So it will either point to me or to your Zoldyck friend", Kuroro finished for him. "I see…" his voice trailed off with disappointment, however, he managed to not let it very evident to the blond. "It will be useless indeed because being with your friends right now would only be dangerous for them, and killing me is also dangerous for your silver-haired buddy."

Kurapika snorted at the insult. It was implied in the statement that right now, he is powerless against Kuroro. Anyway, there is still another thing that he had not mentioned yet.

"That is only half of it", Kurapika continued.

Kuroro raised an eyebrow this time but he spoke with his eyes for the boy to continue.

"The gem, will only point towards those you have not yet obtained", Kurapika said ending it with a smug smile.

"What would be the use of looking for something you have already, anyway?" Kuroro inquired, one of his eyebrows was still raised.

Kurapika rolled his eyes and spoke, "It means that the gem will not work if you are only trying to regain something that you have lost. That's why the gem is still useless even if I manage to free Killua and kill you."

Kuroro finally realized Kurapika's point. "I see", he said. "You cannot use it to locate the eyeballs because you used to have the eyeballs with you, in the form of your tribesmen."

Kurapika only nodded before sighing.

"I never heard of that half of the story", Kuroro muttered while holding his chin, thinking. "But with it, I can easily look for hidden riches, given that I have not stolen them already in the past."

He immediately scratched out the idea of the gem answering his never-forgotten-issue of the 'missing something', because it is now clear that if he had missed it, then therefore, it had been there before.

"Now, for the plan…" Kuroro said as his thoughts went back to the present.

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"They had not been here for ages!" Killua exclaimed loudly in the old abandoned wreck that had once held the three of them as hostages.

"Yeah, the dust alone was obvious", Gon sighed calmly.

"What are you saying?" Leorio blurted out exasperatedly. "Everything here looks forgotten even when we were tied there!" He then pointed on the exact spot where they stood when they were still held captive by the Genei Ryodan.

"There would have been a single undusted spot if they had been here for at least a week before today, idiot!" Killua shouted again as he proceeded to hit the back of Leorio's head. "The dust was so thick everywhere. I guess they changed hideouts as soon as they got Kurapika."

"I guess too", Gon replied as he sat down to examine the ground where a few emptied cans of soda were.

"But to where?" Leorio asked as he soothed his aching head. He decided not to fight back since the silver-haired boy looks angry already.

"Let's check out every ruined building in the vicinity", Gon said, his chocolate-brown eyes shining. "Genei Ryodan love such places right?"

"Right", Killua replied, appreciating his friend's optimism. He walked towards the exit immediately, followed by his two friends.

'We will find you no matter what, Kurapika. Just hang on', Leorio promised in his thoughts as he let the two youngsters lead the way while scratching the now growing bump that Killua caused a while ago.

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"Machi", Nobunaga finally spoke after hours of staring into nothingness while they were walking.

"What?" Machi replied, slightly irritated at the man.

"Danchou…" Nobunaga said, his voice trailing off.

"What about him?" Franklin spoke, as he heard the conversation of the two in front of him.

"Why did he leave?" Shizuku answered for Nobunaga who seemed to be looking for the right words.

"Isn't it obvious?", Machi replied, her tone was a little bit annoyed.

"It is", Franklin agreed as he continued to trail them.

"What is?" Shizuku asked innocently.

Machi and Franklin both sighed and decided to ignore her. Nobunaga on the other hand was getting frustrated with all the implied answers to the questions. He decided to ask for himself to clarify things up before he boils on the spot with frustration.

"This is getting nowhere!" Nobunaga exclaimed loudly before putting his thoughts into words. "Why do you think he left us so hurriedly? He is not after something, is he?"

"He is", Franklin replied again, vaguely.

Nobunaga restrained himself from pulling his own hair away from his scalp or unsheathing his sword to slash the man behind him. Instead, he mustered all the calmness that nature had provided him since birth and asked, "What is he after?"

"The Kuruta."

Everyone turned towards the source of the familiar bone-chilling voice. An evil giggle erupted from the same location and a few cards shot towards their direction. All four of them managed to dodge the cards successfully before the assailant finally revealed himself.

Wearing a jester's outfit decorated on the chest and the back with symbols of playing cards was a slim man with his hair styled backwards and narrow eyes. He was holding another set of cards as a fan to cover the lower part of his face as he approached the four of them.

All four people tensed and took up their defensive stances. Machi's threads appeared surrounding her hands. Nobunaga, on the other hand, had already unsheathed his katana and is preparing to lunge after the man if necessary. The tips of Franklin's fingers had already fallen off and he is simply waiting for another offensive move before shooting. Lastly, Shizuku had already materialized Deme-Chan, her living red vacuum cleaner, and is holding the head of it as a club.

"Hisoka!" Machi muttered as she tenses, causing the Nen-threads around her fingers to glow brightly.

"Relax", Hisoka replied sweetly, as he stopped on his tracks to face them. "I am not here to fight."

"Then what are you doing here?!" Machi hissed angrily at him.

"Now, now, Machi", Hisoka spoke again, hushing her in a voice that is beyond creepy. "You do not have to kill yourself with hypertension just to tell me that I am not welcome."

Nobunaga growled towards him and screamed, "LEAVE! Before I cut your head off!"

Hisoka laughed sarcastically at them as he removed the cards over his face and shuffled it instead. With the action, the Genei Ryodan tensed up again, anticipating every move of the demented magician.

"I told you, I am not here to fight", Hisoka said as he giggled towards them.

"Then what are you here for?" Franklin asked, calmer than the way Machi and Nobunaga spoke towards Hisoka.

"I just happen to pass by, that's all", Hisoka replied waving his hands dramatically to illustrate evrything. The cards he was holding earlier had disappeared. "I was stalking my new prey but then I sensed the four of you so I decided to greet you. After all, I had been branded back then to be one of you, right?"

"Whatever. Get lost!" Machi snapped. She was eager to end the conversation with Hisoka right then and there. She just could not stand the presence of the man.

Hisoka feigned a frown but he grinned widely before turning his back from them. As soon as he walked a single pace, he spoke again, "Danchou is taking really good care of one of my unripe fruits for me. I never thought he would show such affection towards that beautiful boy."

Everyone was shocked with the statement but before they could ask anything, Hisoka had already disappeared from sight.

oxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

"Here we are", Kuroro silently declared, as he crouched back to the shadows.

Kurapika gritted his teeth with guilt as he was now in front of the mansion that Kuroro had been telling him earlier. They were now working to live up to their plans.

Earlier that morning, after he had taken a bath, they discussed about the gem that Kuroro had been planning to take – the Emerald of Hope. According to Kuroro's plan, after they had checked out of the hotel, they would immediately seek for the mansion by train. And since the man decided to leave without any traces, he was again forced to ride the train's roof. They passed the Duke of Reinfield's mansion, which gave Kurapika the creeps and made Kuroro tense for a few moments. Then finally, after another half an hour, they reached the mansion. They hopped down the train and ran towards it until they were finally in front of its gates.

"Now for your dowsing chain to be of some use…" Kuroro said, as he eyed Kurapika.

Kurapika sighed heavily and materialized his chains. Kuroro, who was only given the chance to see the Chain Jail, Holy Chain and the Judgment Chain at work and hear from the others about the Dowsing Chain, was quite intrigued. He was so curious that he did not seem to blink an eye as Kurapika's chains jingled and swayed for a few moments.

"There", Kurapika pointed to the eastern wing of the mansion as they remained sitting on a huge tree branch just outside the mansion's gates. "It's somewhere there."

"Good", Kuroro said while smiling slightly. "Now, let's get rid of the security cameras."

Kurapika groaned but complied. He actually had no other choice because even if he refused, the man will just order him to do it, therefore, meeting the same end and wasting his energy at the same time.

Kuroro waited for the boy first to dissolve whatever argument is now coming in his mind before hopping down from the tree branch towards the nearest security camera. The next moment, he saw Kurapika just beside him, kicking a camera towards another, consequently destroying two in one move. Kuroro raised an eyebrow to that; it seems that the boy is letting out his anger on the innocent cameras.

It took them quite a while before getting rid of all the security gadgets that may blow their cover, before they finally reached an entrance to the eastern wing. As they expected, the guards had already spread around the area, because in the security room, the monitors all went haywire one at a time which may be caused by intruders getting rid of their cameras before they were even captured in a video.

"What now?" Kurapika hissed at Kuroro as they were hiding behind a huge pillar in one of the corridors.

"Do you want this to be over with?" Kuroro asked unblinkingly at him.

"Of course!" Kurapika replied. The next moment he barely saw Kuroro disappearing in front of him and appearing near the guards. Before he even knew it, all of the guards that blocked their only exit from the corridor are already swimming in their own pools of blood. He was terrified at the speed of his companion.

"Don't just stand there", Kuroro finally remarked as he noticed Kurapika staring at him, wide-eyed, at the distance.

Kurapika came crashing back to his senses as he realized that Kuroro wanted him to move out of the corridor now. He felt bile, together with everything he ate the whole day, worming their way back to his esophagus. Fortunately, he was able to step away from the disgusting scene and was now running towards his companion. The next moment however, he saw the whole world spinning around him and the last thing he saw were Kuroro's dark eyes widening with shock and worry just above him.

Kuroro noticed that the blond was turning paler and paler by the moment and realized that the boy might have gotten sick with the smell and the sight of the massacre he had just performed a few moments ago. Immediately, out of instinct, he rushed out towards the boy who collapsed on his chest.

"Kurapika?" Kuroro asked gently, as he felt the limp weight of the boy on him. When there was no response, he began to worry as the boy is staring at him right now with his eyes wide-open; it seems that Kurapika had lost consciousness with his eyes open.

Kurapika got back to his senses and struggled to stand only to fall back again. His legs were almost numb and shaking and his hands felt cold. He tried to breathe in or gasp but his lungs seemed to be against it. He decided to cling tight to the person in front of him in order to regain balance.

"Take a deep breath", the voice of the person in front of him ordered gently.

Kurapika obeyed and clawed on the man's clothes as he desperately tries to control his breathing. Slowly, he was able to regain a slight hue on his face.

"Relax now", Kuroro spoke again, as he held tight to the shaking boy in front of him. "Do not fear…" he said, gently stroking the Kurapika's blond hair to calm the boy down. "It's over now, Kurapika."

Kurapika closed his eyes as he realized that it was Kuroro who was now holding him. At any other time he would have struggled to break free, but this time, he needed someone – anyone, to keep the horrible images of the past from haunting him even when he is still awake. He held tighter, burying himself on the chest of the man in front of him, unconsciously sobbing as he does.

Kuroro decided to hold back his sigh as he witness the seemingly unbreakable façade of the Chain-Guy shattering into a million fragile pieces in front of him; revealing not the cold and heartless murderer of Ubougin and Pakunoda, but rather, an ordinary young boy who had been brutally trashed away from childhood and pushed towards the cruel experiences of adulthood and solitude.

After a few moments, he felt the boy's grip going lighter and he decided to finally let go, smiling as he did. "Are you all right now?"

The boy nodded in front of him and slowly, he broke apart from the man and calmed himself down by breathing slowly.

Kuroro stood beside him for a few moments before asking, "Shall we get on with the plan? Or do you want to rest for now?" He was definitely worried with the boy's state of mind right now. It seems that another scene like that and the boy will surely die with trauma.

Kurapika, hating being seen as a weakling denied the begging of his mind to rest. "No, let's just do this quickly", he said as he straightened himself and held out his dowsing chain to specify the gem's location.

Kuroro sighed but relented. 'If anything happens to you again, I'll just grab you and leave – with or without the gem', he convinced himself and followed the Kuruta. "Let us just avoid everyone and get the gem", Kuroro said.

In a few minutes, Kurapika led him into a lot of corridors until they finally reached a very unusual one. The door was not even guarded; however, it was decorated with twin dragons facing each other as if they were rising towards the heavens. Both dragons have rubies for eyes and the scales which were craved from very expensive hardwood glimmer with gold dust. The door itself was black marble and was lined heavily with gold. Instead of doorknobs, there were two lions' heads just beside the foreclaws of both dragons. Both heads had gleaming emeralds for eyes and their fanged mouths wide open flowed with what Kurapika dreaded to be blood which flows towards the floor to redden the crevices which were designed to look like the crest of the aristocrat who owned the place.

"It's just an effect", Kuroro pointed out even before Kurapika starts to panic again. "It does not smell like blood."

His eyes glimmered red for a second then returned to their normal state again. He simply nodded at Kuroro, since he was just too tired to argue at this point. "The gem's behind that door."

Kuroro's eyes twinkled for a moment which Kurapika clearly took in as greed. Both of them decided to step closer, with Kuroro leading the way. Kuroro realized that the appearance of the door was already a giveaway that it cannot be opened with sheer force so he induced his hands with Nen and then pushed gently.

The gigantic black doors creaked silently as they were pushed open to reveal seven people inside. Five of them wore the standard black tuxedo with a matching black tie while another one wore a purple tuxedo and had himself decorated with gold necklaces, bracelets and rings. The finer look of his clothing was enough to clarify that he was the boss. He had a thinning but long gray hair tied into a ponytail and deathly pale and wrinkling skin. He holds a cane on one hand and rests his other hand on a glass box just behind him. He seems to be caressing the glass box rather protectively and eyeing the two of them with fear as he sweats profusely. The only one who was showing the more problematic aura was wearing a white coat over white pants and shoes. He has platinum-blond hair and watery, light blue eyes, which were set behind round spectacles. He has a handsome smile, which displays his perfect set of white teeth. To make everything easier, he looks so much like Kuroro Lucifer's nice, goody-two-shoes counterpart.

"So, the rumors are indead true", the white clad man spoke, his voice was soft, almost melodious. "The Kuruta really ran off with you, Lucifer."

Kurapika raised his eyebrow at the man indignantly, as a prince does to a commoner who had said something incredibly foolish. "I beg your pardon!" he said sounding insulted.

"Should 'elope' be a better term?"

Kurapika's eyes flashed dangerously red as he tried to leap towards the man. Fortunately, Kuroro was able to block him with his arm.

"Do not get tricked too easily", Kuroro said, not even looking at him. The man's gaze directed towards their opponent – the white-clad figure just in front of them. "If you had attacked because I had not prevented you from doing so, you will be nothing but ripped flesh right now", he whispered as he pointed his gaze towards their enemy.

Kurapika hissed but relented as he calmed down and used Gyo. His eyes widened with shock as he took in the image that his Nen-infused eyes were showing him. True enough, just in front of him were hundreds if not thousands of Nen-bubbles. The bubbles were lazily floating, covering almost every inch of space between the two of them and the men with the gem.

"They are pretty, aren't they?" the white-clad man said. "It is simply too unfair to admit that such sight would be the last you will ever see."

With those words, the man lifted his arms as the men behind him began to tense, surrounding themselves around their now shaking employer. The bubbles on the other hand, glowed from light blue to red before shooting at Kuroro and Kurapika with bullet-like speed. Knowing nothing about the bubbles except for the fact that they are glowing dangerously red, both of them decided not to take their chances at being hit by any.

Kurapika just had enough time to evade the first batch of bubbles by running to his left towards the wall and using the momentum to spring towards the ceiling with a somersault, avoiding the stream of bubbles that attacked forward. He then landed gracefully on a side of the room, branded as bubble-free by the judgement of his Gyo.

The bubbles that had missed Kurapika hit the wall and popped just as if they were real soap-bubbles, however, both of them would be damned if they believe that the bubbles will also pop out innocently once they touch their skins.

Kuroro, on the other hand, avoided the bubbles by jumping backwards, tumbling until he reached the marble door then kicking it to use the force as he headed away from the bubbles and landing vertically on the wall. However, he did not stay on such a position and sprinted – yes, running on the wall, towards the enemy with a knife at his right hand.

Wherever Kuroro got the knife, which spouted a terribly evil aura, Kurapika did not wish to know, instead, he resumed on evading the bubbles, contenting himslef into letting Kuroro handle all the offensive.

Kuroro managed to, miraculously, duck a small stream of bubbles that dangerously aimed for his head and was able to get near their enemy before the white-clad man sent three separate streams from different directions towards him. He spun towards his right, barely missing a stream by half an inch and then bent his body backwards as he dodged another stream. The last stream came from beneath his legs, which he had successfully evaded by sprining sideways – away from his enemy.

He shot a quick worried glance at Kurapika who seemed to be having no trouble dancing his way out of the bubbles and raised one of his eyebrows at the boy who seemed to be contenting himself by not helping with the attack. Anyway, he was slightly glad at this, because at least he would not have to pry away a meddling Kuruta from the scene just so he would not hurt the boy with his next attacks.

"The Kuruta seems to be taking everything easily, right?" the white-clad man observed, sounding quite delighted when he saw the worried look that Kuroro spared for the blond boy. "Let us change our target and speed things up a bit."

Kuroro's eyes widened with horror as the bubbles which had been chasing him snaked their way past him and headed to Kurapika. He had only time to watch as the boy dodges the new set of bubbles by side-stepping to the right and continuing the run towards the wall and straight to yet another jet of bright red bubbles. Fortunately, the boy was flexible enough to bend his upper body backwards until his hand reached the floor – an act which ended with his lower body catching up with his upper, thus sending him into a few backward somersaults before landing safely to another bubble-free side of the room.

Kuroro decided to rush beside the boy since their enemy seemed to be focusing all his attack on the blond. But before he could even reach the Kuruta, he was attacked by a larger and, if possible, redder stream of bubbles. He ducked and regretted it even before he realized it, because he had only given the dangerous spheres space to pass through towards Kurapika.

"KURAPIKA!" he managed to shout to warn the boy. Kurapika was already too busy evading the faster sets of bubbles that assaults him from every direction that he nearly did not notice another one that seemed to had gone through Kuroro. Fortunately, he heard the man's shout and had materialized his chains to whip against the bubbles if there is no other way to escape.

VERY wrong move.

The enemy smiled wickedly once the boy summoned his chains. "Checkmate", he whispered.

Kurapika hurled his chains towards the bubbles attacking from his left side. Kuroro was almost relieved to see the chains but he stood rooted to the spot with horror at the next events.

As Kurapika attacked the bubbles, instead of exploding at the contact with Nen, as he and Kuroro expected, the bubbles stuck themselves on the chains, got bigger, turned into purple and then exploded. This caused a chain reaction and all of the bubbles rushed towards the explosion and exploded too.

Kuroro only managed to shout a loud 'NO!' as he sprang toward the blond. The enemy watched amused as Kuroro finally reached the boy who was now bathing in his own blood. The man's grin got even wider when he saw Kuroro Lucifer held the boy in his arms and called upon the blond's name repeatedly but received no answer.

"Kurapika!" Kuroro screamed as he got hold of the badly bleeding blond. "Damn it Kurapika!" he restrained himself from shaking the now unconscious and incredibly blood-drenched boy on his arms. The battlefield had been forgotten as he searched for a pulse and found a weak one. Slowly, the boy's eyes shut open, blue eyes flashing into red, before all the shimmer, the glint and the fire that he adored from the beautiful eyes faded. What was left was just the plain, bloody redness that was identical to the glimmer of those eyeballs he had seen floating in crystal cylinders.

He had not felt like this before. Right now, the intense anger he felt back in the Reinfield Mansion could not even compare to his current emotion. He could feel his heart as if it is struggling to tear his chest apart to escape. His fists, his limbs, were all seeking to kill.

"Kurapika! NO!" Kuroro screamed as he grabbed the boy closer to him into an embrace, secretly hoping that somewhat the usual Kurapika would struggle, hiss curses and then pull back. Feeling nothing, Kuroro's heart felt as if it had been pulled apart and ripped into two separate pieces. He continued to scream the boy's name and tighten his embrace until he felt something warm streaming down his face. The pain in his chest only doubled by the second until he caught sight of the white-clad figure just across the room and the present crashed back into his mind.

Had he been a Kuruta, his eyes would have been redder than Kurapika's had ever been, right now.

And if looks can kill, not even a single bloody morsel would be left of the man in white, with the fire-spitting glares that he had been receiving from Kuroro.

"Rest well…" Kuroro whispered gently to Kurapika's ear as he held the dead weight of the boy in a final tight embrace, burying his face on the bloodied golden strands one last time before leaving his body to the safest corner of the room.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES (2):** Let me leave the scene this way –grins widely–. Now please restrain every urge to strangle me to death if you want to know what happens next. Thank you.


	12. Invisible Avenger of the Fallen Tribe

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Hisoka appeared to Killua with an important lead almost similar to that which he dropped for the four Spider members. The Zoldyck boy grabbed the opportunity presented to him, while Shalnark, hearing the story from his comrades wanted to dig deeper. In the meantime, with the Kuruta weakened for days and unable to heal himself, Kuroro was obliged to take care of him. Kuroro's ignorance of sympathy and inexperience of caring for anyone gave him a hard time dealing with the half-dead Kurapika. However, nursing the boy made him realize that the Kuruta Tribe already had its revenge, and he happily fell for it.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **First of all, special THANKS to Naura Sakakibara who drove me writing like crazy because of her super fabulous ideas XD, to Florallover whose 'scene' I had successfully inserted somewhere in the story -grin- and to phppsmss for the comment that I am not wasting time to show our pair falling in love -bows-. MARYLOVER, I am very sorry but I failed to insert the fight scene that you were expecting… =(… You see, I can't find a right place to insert it. I'm really sorry, but I assure you that Kuroro was able to defeat the man. However, I do hope that the scenes and the confession in this chapter might appease you somehow. And to Gin, thanks for calling this one of the best – I was humbled and encouraged.

I would also want to apologize for the long wait! XD… I totally forgot that I was not able to upload this chapter last Friday. I really thought that I had already posted it. But when I checked my account… you can guess the look on my face when I saw that it was still eleven Chapters rather than twelve – which I had been expecting. I AM VERY VERY VERY SORRY FOR THAT. I was actually planning not to check my e-mail and my account until next week! OH! It would have been a disaster if I gave in to that thought! I made you wait long… I'm really sorry.

"**HIGHLY IMPORTANT" AUTHOR'S NOTES: **BY THE WAY… Let me remind everyone that this happened in an Alternate Universe. **In this fanfiction**, Kalluto Zoldyck **DID NOT** become a member of the Genei Ryodan. YES. I totally ignored that fact. Actually, I also ignored everything after the Greed Island Arc. BUT I did consider the fact that Kuroro had been freed from Kurapika's Judgment Chain already by Abengane. And **in this fanfiction**, Kuroro **HAD ALREADY DEFEATED** Hisoka in a duel. That's why Hisoka entered the scene just now. **OK?**

**ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH REGARDS TO THE SET-UP OF EVENTS IN THIS FANFICTION MAY BE SENT THROUGH PMs AND I WILL GLADLY ANSWER THEM.**

**SUGGESTIONS (AND REVIEWS –wink–) ARE WELCOME TOO!**

Now, enough of that. Off to the story! Enjoy!

P.S. Cheesy stuff ahead… you've been warned.

**CHAPTER 12**

**The Invisible Avenger of the Fallen Tribe**

"Found anything yet?" Leorio asked, his voice trailing off with boredom.

"Nope…" Killua replied as he bit his lower lip with frustration and weariness. "How about you?"

"No luck", Leorio said, sighing.

"Well, it's almost dark already. Tell Gon that I'll meet the two of you at the restaurant of our hotel for dinner. Let's make another plan there. OK?" Killua said as he scratched his hair with impatience. He heard a weak 'OK' from the other line and he pushed the 'End Call' button of his phone as a reply.

The sky is a glowing shade of crimson, pink, orange and gold on one side and indigo and blue on the other. Sunlight was desperately fighting for its life and continuously losing, giving room for the earliest evening stars to shine at the darker part of the heavens. Another day had passed and another night soon after a few more hours. Still, there were no clues left to start the adventure of reclaiming their friend from the Spiders.

"Where could you be?" Killua wondered, pausing by the huge tattered window of the building to admire the slow transition of the sky from day into night.

It had been more than a month since the fateful day that Kurapika had been so rudely and forcefully taken away from them and still, all three of them could not accept that fact. Killua had assured them that Kurapika would be kept alive and healthy, as his instincts told him so, however, that thought is not very comforting at the very least. Knowing Kurapika, all three of them understood very well that the blond would rather choose to die a slow and very painful death than to remain beside any of the Genei Ryodan members, much less, its leader.

They were all assured that Kurapika is alive – as they can always confirm with the chains that surround Killua's heart. It is true that a person's aura can survive even after death especially if it is given through a Nen-curse but they all knew very well that it is only a deep emotion that had been left behind along with the aura that fuels it all throughout even after the person's death. Therefore, because Kurapika is their friend and loved them all genuinely, they are very much assured that his chains will disappear once Kurapika dies instead of the common incident that during a Nen-curse, when the owner of the aura dies, his Nen is left behind either to continue the curse or to kill the cursed one instantly. However, knowing that Kurapika is indeed alive can sometimes be more troubling. As far as all three of them knew, the leader has total control of Kurapika's every action, from killing someone to the simplest act of breathing. There is nothing that the blond boy would not do if it means that he can keep his beloved friends safe for the moment and sometimes, such acts of selfless love sickens them more than it can appease. Worse, they have totally no contact with Kurapika and they had no idea what the Genei Ryodan's leader was forcing their friend to do since he obtained all the liberty in the world to order Kurapika.

Sometimes, as Killua ponders deeper about it, there are a lot of things worse than death. Being an assassin since he was able to think rationally, he never paid attention to such concepts. Death is always the final and the most brutal strike because it ends everything. That was what he believed until he finally met with someone who had suffered far worse than any death can bring – one of his closest friends, Kurapika.

Killua knew better than anyone in their small tighly-knit group what death means. But he never really understood what life has to offer after death. However, once he had gotten closer to his friends and to their Kuruta, he finally understood. Life can be far more sadistic than death. And as proof, he had seen it through the gleaming blue orbs that were their friend's eyes – the remainder of the pain that Kurapika had gone through.

Living is worse than dying when it comes to the feeling of the tragic loss. One loss could be enough to crumble another person's life and lead to yet another death. For Kurapika, on the other hand, the loss of his entire clan – or rather, his entire world because the Kuruta had secluded themselves from any contact with the outside world, living as if the forest of Rukuso regions was the whole world and they were the only ones in them, it was the most painful thing ever. Killua would not even dare to put himself in the shoes of their blond friend. To witness the demise of the whole world, and to survive it, only to thrive on your own and to be alone for eternity… The thought was too frightening to be true and yet it had been the fact in their friend's life until the blond came, strutting with the pride and poise of a well endowed monarch and the sharpness of tongue gifted to all dignitaries, to their lives in the Hunter Exam. At first it was awfully and sickeningly irritating, to have someone who knew more than would do good to anyone, to be breathing down their necks and nagging the hell out of them to be righteous and just at all costs, filling their heads with useful and useless facts about everything and anything under the sun. But soon, as they learned the other's past and began to admire his courage, wit and power, all three of them learned to love him – as he stands to be the "Mother-Hen" of their group; the leader during tight and difficult situations, the arbiter between childish arguments and brainless fights, the nagger that would remind them of what to do and when to do it especially during the times that they were all too sleepy and tired to remember anything, the know-it-all who would gladly explain difficult things to them to make such even harder with his terms which are too eloquent and somewhat 'not-very-fathomable-for-normal-human-beings'. They all knew that it was Gon which acts as the glue that stuck them together and held them there, it was Leorio that provided them with the somewhat paternal figure and supplies them all the fun with the expense of his very own self, it was him – Killua, who strengthens, protects, and assures them with his hunches, opinions, and dark strategies, but it all boils down to their blond friend to keep everything sailing smooth – with his cool and stiff façade and warm and loving heart. To make everything short, it was down to Kurapika to keep them on leash because he seemed to be the most mature being among the four of them.

Sometimes all three of them would fall into a daze – imagining different situations where their blond friend could possibly be in or had gone through, and soon enough, all three of them will wake up, clenching their fists and gritting their teeth; itching to drag their friend away from the grasp of the Genei Ryodan. And that itching feeling was the one that urged them to continue to this, so far futile, search. They had been combing every building near the original one – where they were held captive as Kurapika was forced to do the Spiders' leader's bidding. But up until now, they found no cues that may lead to the next hideout of the Phantom Brigade.

Killua kicked a small stone that happened to be in front of him in order to release as much emotion as he can while restraining himself to go out on a killing rampage just as what he would usually do when he is frustrated. "Damn!" he muttered angrily as he sent the stone flying away and boring holes to everything it met on its path.

"Frustrated?" a creepily sweet and dreadfully soft voice echoed from one end of the dark corridor that was the remains of the building that Killua had been standing in – one of the many ruined structures in the area.

A frightening realization came up to the silver-haired boy.

"Hisoka!" he exclaimed, hopping backwards into a defensive stance to face the magician. He had been training well, and he knew very well that he has a chance of defending himself against any attacks from Hisoka until the older gives an opening to let him escape. In fact, maybe if he transforms or accidentally transforms into his bloodthirsty state, he can even injure Hisoka. However, knowing the demented jester, the more he injured Hisoka, the more frightening and inescapable the situation can become. He could not risk that especially right now – when there is another person's life at stake aside from his own. He could not let himself die right here when he knows that his friend could be on the other side of the world doing everything to keep him safe. Dying a stupid death because of rash decisions and yanking his friend's life with his own is not the proper way to repay the blond's sacrifices. And he knew very well that neither Gon nor Leorio would forgive him for that.

"You have gotten stronger", Hisoka replied, looking rather excited. "I assume that Gon must have been doing well too."

"What are you doing here?" Killua snapped, as he scanned the surroundings for a possible escape route that he could take as soon as Hisoka shows the first sign of hostility.

"Hush now boy", Hisoka said, as he walked closer to the Zoldyck boy. "You do not want to fight me, do you? I believe that this is not the right time for that."

Killua's eyes narrowed with suspicion as his legs bent lower to prepare himself to run as soon as Hisoka gets too close. "If you do not want to fight, then why are you here?"

Hisoka halted then he grinned creepily at the boy as he licked his lips hungrily. He eyed the younger one standing just a few meters in front of him as if he was some sort of exotic delicacy. Finally, he giggled – quite discreetly, before saying, "Are you looking for your Kuruta-friend?"

Killua's eyes widened at the statement. A few electric sparks glistened around him. "What do you have to do with Kurapika?" he asked, his eyes narrowing with anger and impatience.

"You're not planning to attack me if ever I had something to do with him, are you?" Hisoka replied teasingly as he sensed the boy's aura growing more aggressive by the second. "I know you cannot do anything but flee from me right now if I do so much as increase the output of my Nen. Am I correct, Killua? You would never endanger your friend's life, right? So please calm down, or I might feel threatened and lose control. You know it meant certain death for you and consequently for your dear Kuruta, don't you?"

Killua hissed a few expletives before calming his aura down. Hisoka was right and he could not risk his own life right now. "What do you want?", he snapped.

"Nothing really", Hisoka replied still smiling impishly. "You are still far from your full potential and so is Kurapika. Killing you now will be such a waste!" he said dramatically. "Actually, with your friend's condition, I might as well give up chasing him around."

"What do you mean?" Killua asked, confused and thirsty for information.

"If everything goes on as it is, I might never be able to get close enough to single him or even his guardian out."

Completely befuddled and annoyed, Killua felt his limbs shaking with impatience. Hisoka noticed this and continued walking towards the boy's direction, looking very much satisfied with the effect his words had with the youngster.

"Your friend is well taken cared of by Danchou. As a matter of fact, I can safely say that the boy is enjoying Danchou's companionship and affection, although he seemed to be still confused about it", Hisoka continued, giggling creepily. "Anyway, right now, you and your pals do not need to worry about your beloved friend, because as long as Kuroro Lucifer continues to 'treat' him like that, no one, even I, myself, can harm him. They actually make a very romantic couple, wouldn't you agree? They are perfectly blending in their current environment which is rather historic and sentimental for their little love story."

After speaking, Hisoka decided to step closer to Killua until they were barely a foot apart. The boy was so shocked at the statement that he had lost his guard completely falling and stumbling in his own thoughts instead. Again, it was the grim magician's voice that made him aware of his surroundings, pulling him back to consciousness.

"Your friend is the one in control right now", Hisoka whispered at his ear before heading forward to disappear completely in the dark.

Killua was left to his own to drown in his own thoughts before snapping back to reality. He realized that Hisoka had just given them a lead to where Kurapika is and what could possibly be happening to him. Shaking, with mixed surprise, fear, relief and excitement, he reached down to his pocket for his phone. Feeling it within his grasp, he immediately pushed a speed dial for Gon's number and held the phone – while still shaking terribly, to his ear. He cursed every passing ring and swore under his breath that he would strangle Gon to death soon if the other would not answer up the phone, as he sped with all his might towards their meeting place. Fortunately, Gon had already picked up his phone.

"Yes, Killua?", Gon said cheerfully from the other line.

"WHAT THE HELL TOOK YOU SO LONG?!" Killua yelled as soon as he heard the other boy speak.

"Huh? I don't know what yo-", Gon was about to defend himself and confront Killua's rude behavior when the Zoldyck boy silenced him.

"Hisoka just dropped by with a useful hint. Meet me. Same place. NOW!", Killua said hastingly as he hopped from the top of a ruined building to land softly on the ground. He ended the call, turned off his phone and shoved it back to where it came from to avoid anymore useless questions from the other line which may only slow down their situation. He was now running towards the living part of the city.

Gon was so shocked at the news from Killua. Trembling, he did not notice that the other line went dead already. He was still holding the phone close to his ear when he felt it slip from his hands and drop on the floor into pieces. He paid no attention to it and screeched towards the bathroom of their suite instead, "LEORIO! Hurry up in there!"

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"They're late", Franklin stated bluntly, sounding quite bored.

"Who?" Shizuku asked innocently, glancing upwards to seek for an answer on Franklin's face. She had buried her face on the book she had been reading for hours and it was only now that she had to break her gaze from its scripts.

"Feitan and Phinx", Nobunaga replied grumpily with a huge sigh. He was a bit annoyed for the duo being late in an 'important' meeting.

Shizuku stared at the samurai for a moment and then turned to Franklin again who simply shrugged at her. She pondered for a moment on the samurai's irritated reply, before deciding to give it up and settle back on her book instead. She just assured herself that if anything important happens, her comrades would alert her immediately.

"We should not expect them to come anyway", Franklin commented. "After all, no matter how important this may seem, it is still not an official meeting."

"They will come", Machi finally spoke up, emerging from the shadows of the debris which she had picked to be her spot for the last few hours.

"Of course", Nobunaga snorted. "But I expect them to be scampering towards us as soon as they got the message."

"They are not exactly as involved in this as you are, Nobu", Franklin pointed out, a smirk forming on his lips.

"I expected that to come from either Feitan or Phinx, not from you Franklin", Machi commented, her hands falling to rest on her hips.

The samurai grunted loudly to show that he is ignoring whatever the two is trying to point out. "Whatever", he said emotionlessly. "Maybe I should remind you that this is DANCHOU we are talking about!", he finally bellowed. "And whatever that concerns Danchou, is important to US!"

Nobunaga had started ranting again. He could not keep everything to himself anymore. He is sick and tired of his comrades looking as if they do not care about their Danchou being in trouble. If he even understands things correctly, he believes that it would be more appropriate to say that their Danchou is in far more danger right now than before.

"… and YOU are acting as if NOTHING MATTERS!" he screamed until he paused to catch his breath. His katana remained sheathed on his side and he kept on flailing his arms instead, so that he can restrain himself easier from unsheathing his sword and getting into a fight with his fellow Spiders. He was about to voice out another of his loud opinions when a ring from his phone broke his 'concentration'.

Fearing that it may be their leader calling for help, he rummaged to his clothes and obtained his phone. He quickly pushed a button and held the phone to his ear without bothering to look if it is their leader or not. He screeched, "DANCHOU?"

"Nobu-… Huh?" the cheerful voice of the person on the other line seemed to be stuck in his throat.

"Eh?" Nobunaga recognized the voice and realized that he might be acting stupidly, which was proved by the looks he received from Franklin and Machi, so he decided to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat due to embarrassment, cough and then speak. "Shalnark… Where are you?"

"I'm stuck in this airport since last night", Shalnark replied, the usual cheerfulness of his voice returning. "I tried calling but the lines were dead. I guess it's about this huge storm…"

"That's never been a problem to you before!" Nobunaga reasoned loudly.

Shalnark has to put distance between his ear and the phone's speaker to protect his eardrum. He waited for a moment just to be sure that there would be no more attempts of assaulting his auditory faculties from the other line before replying, "It is now". He paused, waiting for another explosive reaction before continuing, "I made a wrong decision to head out of the country from a coastal region. The storm is quite much here compared to the inner regions last night. Everything calmed down just a few hours ago, but I doubt that I will still be able to reach the meeting place even if I left four hours earlier."

"Why didn't you call four hours earlier, then?!" Nobunaga asked angrily.

"Because there's no point", Shalnark replied a grin spreading on his face. "I still won't make it. So, I decided to call later. It doesn't change a thing after all."

Nobunaga held his temple with his other hand and calmed himself down. Shalnark is right, even if he called earlier, it still would not matter if he still could not make it. Anyway, that never happened before and he could not take it that their fellow Spider, Shalnark, will be hindered only by a storm. "You always work things out even if there's a hurricane, a tsunami, an earthquake… Even when you're inside a crashing plane! Why now?!"

Shalnark made a point to let his grin be known to the other line. With the usual cheerfulness of his voice, he started, "Business, Nobu."ulness of his voice, other line. lnark, will be hindered only by a storm.

"I see", Nobunaga sighed heavily. He seemed to understand the situation. Of course, as their nature dictates, they always put everything behind money.

"I really wanted to go at first, but as I have said, there was a storm. And along with it came an offer", Shalnark explained truthfully. "I'm really sorry guys, but I can't turn this one down. It's a lot of cash."

Nobunaga nodded with understanding as if Shalnark was in front of him to see it. "Uhuh", he replied with another sigh. "Yeah, we got it. OK." With a moment's pause, a thought came to Nobunaga's mind. He decided to let it out even before he forgets about it. After all, this may only be his chance. "And, uh, Shalnark?"

Shalnark's smile became stuck and he mentally sighed. Nobunaga must have guessed about it. Or even if it is not Nobunaga, the others must have hunched already, especially Machi. He dreaded the day that he may have to explain about it fully. Way before, ever since the day he was called to perform a small task, he felt that he was deep in this hole already. Crawling out will be difficult without the proper alibi so from that day on, he prepared his replies already.

"Yeah?" Shalnark replied sounding as cheerful as ever.

"Have you heard about Danchou?", Nobunaga asked, sounding as if he hesitated to do so, but made up his mind and asked anyway. "I mean, you're always the one he called first ever since Paku died. So, had he called you for anything?"

"Yep", he answered with an obvious grin that must have showed in his voice. "But it's nothing really. He just informed me that he's OK so that everyone might be assured that he is all right and there's no need to worry. He mentioned about informing you that if ever anyone of you asks. He seemed to have noticed that we grew to worry about him more ever since the York Shin event so he when he's away, he calls me every once in a while just to tell me that he's fine."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US THAT HE'S ALWAYS CALLING YOU?", Nobunaga bellowed.

Shalnark had to protect his ears again before replying, "Because you never asked", he replied, reasoning with the usual friendly smile in his voice. "But now you did so I told you."

Nobunaga's mouth fell open for an argument but he closed it again, noting that Shalnark is very much correct. His nostrils were nearly flaring but he managed to control and contained his temper with a huge sigh. "Right… Is that it? Anything else that you had been keeping?"

"I don't know if it will help you", Shalnark said, sounding doubtful. He wanted to keep this to himself and let the rest of his comrades know about it by themselves, but right now, he knew that with Nobunaga asking, his whole reputation to his fellow Spiders will be ruined if he did not speak of it now. Of course, he cares a lot about what the other Genei Ryodan members thought of him. It may not seem like it and it may look like he was just with them for money – after all, they are thieves. But he knew, that no matter how much he tries to look at it, he simply cares because the Genei Ryodan was the closest thing he had for a family. The others may not notice it within themselves but it is very evident; from the way they endlessly fight and argue like children to the manner they look after each other's back. That was also why he helped their leader back in that noisy restaurant – because as a fellow Spider, a colleague, a comrade, a friend, he just had to. Right now, letting anything out may sound like betrayal for the raven-haired man, but he – Shalnark, knew very well how to compromise. He can spill a little but save the most details to save both their necks, together with the blond extra's, which he knew will be part of the 'family' soon.

"Spit it, Shal!", Machi snapped from the other line.

Shalnark knew that Machi must have been alerted by Nobunaga's screaming – or rather, the samurai's attempt in impairing his hearing, and had snatched the phone from Nobunaga to know what exactly is happening and to guess by her unbelievably ever-correct hunches by herself. "Machi! It's nice to hear you, but please, quit from your attempts to destroy my eardrums – they really hurt now", he said jokingly.

"If you do not respond appropriately, I'll make sure your eardrums will be the only things left to your body when I'm done with it!" she screeched.

Shalnark scratched the back of his head. He had expected that reaction from his 'friend' already. He pretended a sigh of disappointment before continuing, "I think Danchou's off with the Kuruta", he said. He dared not mention the Kuruta's name, which he had been using to address the blond boy ever since their Danchou looked eager to retrieve him from the Duke.

"We figured that out already", Machi Said with a sigh as she rolled her eyes.

Shalnark expected that too, however, there's something at the back of his mind telling him that something's not right. "It's not a hunch, eh?" he asked, curious about the reply that may change his plans.

"Hisoka told us", Machi answered. She mentioned 'Hisoka' as if it was some kind of curse word. "Sort of…"

Shalnark's eyes widened at the statement. He was expecting Machi's hunch but Hisoka's intervention was something he totally scratched away from his list since day one. "WHAT?!", Shalnark half-yelled, surprised.

"We were expecting the info-geek, slash, YOU, to tell us about that", Machi snapped back, irritated at the situation. She felt that Shalnark was ahead of them in this little 'game', however, she was hoping that he would be able to enlighten them with a hint or two on why Hisoka would be prancing around and dropping those hints as if he was some kind of all-knowing deity.

'Is he spying on Danchou?' Shalnark thought, as questions and answers raced fervently in his mind. 'That's impossible… Danchou could have known if-'

"You seemed more surprised about that than us", Machi commented as she noticed the sudden silence from the other line which immediately followed the rather high-pitched shriek. "And I thought you knew…"

"I didn't… Obviously…", Shalnark said, his voice trailing off as he thought of the numerous possibilities. "Is that why you asked for an unofficial meeting?"

"That's one of the major reasons", Machi replied.

"I'll try to ask Danchou about it", Shalnark said after thinking for a moment. "Who the hell knows what kind of stupid prank that demonic magician is pulling on us? We need to know what he's up to."

"Right, you do that", Machi said in a very commanding tone. "After your business out there, try to meet us and we'll talk again. Until then, let's contact each other if there's any leads."

"I'm on it", Shalnark determinedly answered. "Bye now."

There was a sniff from the other line before it went dead. Shalnark sighed afterwards. He knew a lot, more or less, about what is happening between their Danchou and the Kuruta, but Hisoka's involvement seemed to complicate things more. He should have counted on this. After all, both their Danchou and the boy had been the demented magician's targets before and who nows, maybe up to now. If it was only not Hisoka's mind that he was trying to decode right now, it would have been a whole hell lot easier.

"I should tell Danchou about this", Shalnark thought loudly. "If Hisoka knew something, it means that he must be following them! And if that is the case, then, Danchou and Kurapika are in big trouble."

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"Do not leave a single one of them alive. We are only after their eyes. Execute", a voice repeated itself in his head over and over again.

"Not one of them should be alive", he whispered to himself as he stared blankly to the burning flames of the small but amazingly warm fireplace.

Almost a week ago, he and a Kuruta – the last of his kind, went out for a mission to obtain a certain gem. At first, the plan was simple; get the gem and get out. Then after the boy witnessed on how he kills a lot of people in mere seconds, the boy got a panic-attack which Kuroro took as the result of the boy's witnessing the massacre of his entire tribe. The simple plan then evolved into a little more complex one; avoid all enemy encounters, TRY to get the gem and get out, BUT if Kurapika gets a panic-attack again, leave the gem and get out. Then when the gem was just a few meters away from them, the enemy showed up, firing them with Nen-bubbles and blasting life out of his blond companion. The next thing he knew was the intense pain that started to hammer his chest when he saw the bubbles exploding upon contact with the Kuruta's skin, the necessity to save the boy's life and the anger that boiled and erupted within him. After that, he rushed to the boy into a rather awkward but nonetheless romantic embrace.

A sigh broke the silence of the room for the thousandth time that evening.

After trying to shake the boy back to life and failing, he remembered his anger bursting out from his usually stoic façade. That was the last thing he felt before he decided to exterminate all signs of life within the area.

Now going back to the bloody events of that day, what he could not understand was how his little plan of 'getting the gem and getting out' led to 'killing everyone in sight plus destroying the entire estate before getting the gem and getting out'.

"I guess I lost control again", Kuroro whispered after a small sigh to himself. His eyes wandered off from the flames to the small bed in the room.

Slowly, he stood up from the cozy magenta armchair and walked towards the said bed. He grabbed the nearest chair which was just an arm away from his position and placed it beside the bed. As gracefully as before, he sat down and stared intently at the occupant of the small bed who was peacefully sleeping beside a pole holding his dextrose bag.

"Still alive?", Kuroro asked, as he put up the emotionless face towards his sleeping companion. He glanced at the angelic face of the boy before feeling defeated again. He tried countless times ever since the boy passed out and failed every single time. The usual stoic Genei Ryodan leader that he was, is and will be, always failed to be the 'usual stoic Genei Ryodan leader' in front of this boy – whether the mentioned boy was conscious or not. "Don't die…" he finally whispered, leaning closer to that ivory face, clutching a warm but seemingly lifeless hand and suppressing the heavier emotions.

At first it was just a simple captor-and-captive relationship. He was the captor, and the blond boy was the captive. And just after the hostage scenario, which was perfected by the rather reluctant participation of the boy's friends, he earned all the liberty in the world to order the boy around. With the life of one of the boy's friends on the line, the blond was more than willing to obey his every command. The plan back then was to keep the boy healthy until the day that he would be sold to their client – the Duke of Reinfield. And of course, he liked the idea of making good use of the boy's abilities before the day of the deal, however, when he first tried to give a command, he could not explain what had gotten into him. With the glance at the boy's beautiful face, glowing red eyes that shows anger and hatred but hides the more obvious sadness in them, he was taken aback. At that time, he meant to include the boy in a mission and make great use of the youngster's abilities, but the boy's effortless attempt to look beautiful in front of him was enough to make him swallow the words that were forming in his mouth and the command of going with them came out as a simple and soon to be routinary, 'Don't escape'.

It was moronic and he hated himself for days afterwards. And to understand whatever it was that had gotten in his plans; he made it a point on the very next day to observe his prisoner, his Kuruta, closely. He had accompanied the boy in breakfasts ever since he arrived, so he decided that it would not make any difference if he goes deeper and made that act daily. The first three to four days were normal; the kid loathed his very presence and tried his best to suppress his anger by looking anywhere but him and remaining muted. He was only able to draw some response when he commands it and the words that came out were either clipped or laced with sarcasm. But never did he mind such comments; in fact, he rather liked that side of the boy – fierce and fearless, which is in strong contrast of the boy himself – fragile and vulnerable.

The very next week, he found himself rather looking forward to these few exchanges in thoughts and words and even, in seeing the boy. Everyday, even before sunrise, he would walk towards the boy's room, convince the guards – his Genei Ryodan subjects, out and ask them to get breakfast for the boy. He would usually sit on the bedside in silence, waiting for the Kuruta to open his eyes and greet him with a blue or red-eyed glare, and then hand him his meal. The boy would eat in silence, unless he prods too much questions or commands him to answer. After breakfast he will leave the boy alone for a few hours until he got bored, and when he did, he will summon the boy and ask him his views about things from mundane to diplomatic. He would accompany the boy in every meal, like he usually did during breakfast, and he tried to savor every moment of it for a reason he never knew why. It became a ritual that he could not turn out of. Seeing and being with the boy became a sort of addiction; an obsession for his otherworldly eyes, ivory complexion, golden locks and frail built. A craving he never noticed until days after he sold the boy to the Duke of Reinfield – an action he regretted deeply afterwards.

Finally noting that it was the loss of the boy which bothered him, he tried to understand, again, why. Why in the world would he miss an enemy such as that vengeful Kuruta? He knew he could have reasoned against himself that maybe because he thought that the boy has boundless potential. Then again, the boy's friends all had boundless potential but he never paid any attention to them. He thought of the boy's eyes and the fact that he is the last living Kuruta – an extremely expensive, one of a kind artifact worthy of higher appraisals from the more wicked Hunters. Yet again, he was reminded that this Kuruta possesses the capability to kill him sooner or later; not to mention that the boy WANTED to kill him as soon as possible. And still, he felt a terrible pain everytime he pays a visit to the now empty room that the boy had previously occupied in their hideout. It racked and nagged his mind every single moment until finally, Shalnark came to him and offered a solution in the form of the address of the Duke of Reinfield's mansion. He gladly took it and set out on a mission to obtain the boy – maybe to understand why he acted the way he did during the time that the boy was away or maybe he suddenly had an unexpected urge to do good deeds, or to be more specific – to save the boy from molestations. Those had been his reasons, but now, he finally understood himself.

Kuroro squeezed the unconscious boy's hand gently before going back to his reflections.

After the massacre he conducted at the Reinfield mansion, he was simply too happy to have the boy by his side again. Although the Kuruta stated clearly that he will not hesistate to kill him, his savior, once he got the chance, Kuroro knew that the boy was deeply grateful for what he had done. They wandered together for a while, talking about things mortal enemies would never talk about and staying civil enough not to try and rip each other's head apart. By then, Kuroro knew that he had no more intention to give the boy away and it had been made clear by that tiny voice in his mind – which had successfully dominated his Danchou-persona since the 'rescue-mission'. He will keep the boy with him no matter what and he was sure that it was what he wanted more than anything else at that moment. However, knowing the 'what' does not satisfy a person such as Kuroro Lucifer – he needs to know the 'why'. And so he pondered deeper.

One early morning, he had an argument with the incredibly furious Kuruta and he ended up confessing that he wanted or rather, needed, the boy beside him and declaring that he will not let anything or anyone take the boy from him again. He knew it was quite 'too' possessive of him, even for a Master Thief, but he simply needed to say it in order to keep the boy's growin g affection towards him intact. However, much to his disappointment, and somewhat relief, the boy fainted after his small speech. Disappointment because half of him wanted the boy to see that he, Kuroro Lucifer, genuinely cares for him. Relief because after that confession of his, he actually ahd no idea of what to say if ever the boy asks his reason for feeling such.

The answer to his predicament slowly revealed itself on the next few days.

The Kuruta was unconscious for three days and having admitted that he would not let anything or anyone take the boy or rather steal the boy from him, he spent most of his time beside the boy. A small mission that he had planned to undertake upon his own was left to be done by Shalnark – that is, obtaining information about a certain gem that he is about to steal. He, on the other hand, watched over the sleeping Kuruta all the time, leaving his side only when going to the bathroom. It was not that hard – taking care of a slumbering Kuruta, but his paranoia that the boy might actually die in his sleep while he, himself, is sleeping led him to be sleepless for days; the only rest that he really got was from fifteen to thirty minute naps every few hours. Such concern for the blond made him aware of a small possibility about his feelings but he shrugged it off immediately, telling himself that he had not felt 'that emotion' so he cannot be sure if what he was feeling right then was 'that emotion'. On the contrary, he realized that there should always be a first time and this could be his and confirmation can only be done through his learned theories or by asking questions to an 'experienced' person – someone he did not really have with him at that moment. Much to his embarrassment his 'learned theories' were all shouting a 'positive' confirmation.

Kuroro finally let go of the boy's hand and decided to stroke the boy's blond hair instead.

"Attraction", he whispered softly. "How stupid of me... And you? Look at what you did to me. Look at what you're doing to me. Troublesome kid…" A small smile crept upon his lips as he continued upon his thoughts.

When the boy finally gained consciousness, he was able to talk to him normally again. It seems that the boy had forgotten or may have not wished to remember the argument already. He shared the plan to him and stated that he, the Kuruta, should take part in it too. The boy seemed reluctant at first but having no choice, he relented. Later that afternoon, they reached the mansion where the gem lies and proceeded according to plan. But things turned hideous and the Kuruta was badly wounded.

It was when he thought that he would lose the boy forever that he finally accepted the emotion that he thought he never had and will never have. That was when he finally admitted to himself that he IS human and IS capable of such. Also, that was when he promised to himself that he would do anything to keep the boy safe from then until forever…

A gentle but clearly audible knock broke the unearthly silence in the small room. Kuroro was snagged back to the present from his musings. He stood up immediately yet gracefully and headed towards the door. Sensing the aura several minutes ago, he knew exactly who was behind the door. Without hesitation, he turned the knob and the door creaked open and the visitor entered.

"I did as you have told me", the man wearing a peculiar jester outfit said with a huge and definitely eerie smile. "As agreed?"

"As agreed", Kuroro replied, his eyes staring straight to the other's.

"So, Danchou?", the other man said with his narrow eyes narrowing even more. "Am I part of the team again?"

"Yes", Kuroro replied curtly. "Abide by the rules Hisoka", he added.

"Of course", Hisoka answered as he opened the door again to leave. "I'll leave for now. Say hi to your precious one for me."

Kuroro did not say anything more but sighed greatly as he headed back to his chair beside the Kuruta.

"It is better to have him with us than have him after us, isn't it?" he asked the sleeping figure as if expecting an answer. "After all, his antics are more predictable this way…"

He resumed stroking the boy's hair gently with his fingers.

"The avenger of the Kuruta Tribe", he whispered again as he smiled weakly. "I really should have killed every one of you in your clan, shouldn't I?"

It seems that the fallen of the Kuruta Tribe had finally got their revenge on him. And this is worse than he ever imagined. Death was what he expected long ago, since the York Shin incident made him aware that the Kuruta massacre had a survivor. But it turned out that the Clan with the Organic Rubies decided to get even using the now unconscious and currently barely breathing blond boy as the vessel – the carrier of the 'disease'. Unfortunately for Kuroro, it was him who got affected. And this one, unlike death which is quick, this 'illness', according to his own diagnosis upon the symptoms, will continue to affect him for life.

"The avenger is not you", Kuroro finally said with a voice sounding convinced and defeated. "It is the stupid spell that either Fate or your dead brethren cursed upon me which happens to take effect whenever I see you. What more, the idiot that was I, gladly took the bait and willingly suffered the confusion until it was too late for an antidote."

He stood up noiselessly as he headed towards the fireplace again to fuel the fire as he noticed that the room's temperature was slowly dropping. He was still placing the last piece of wood for the fire to devour when he smiled weakly and whispered, "…and I thought love was for weaklings…"

A weak groan came in as a reply.

**AUTHOR's NOTES (2): **La la la… I warned you XD!


	13. Linking Earth and Sky

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Finding the perfect place to reside at the moment, Kuroro conspired with Hisoka to help Kurapika with his injuries by using the magician as the messenger to lure the boy's friends to their direction. The three – Gon, Killua and Leorio, took the bait and were now rushing to them with a plan of their own. Kurapika, on the other hand, was finally awake, pushing Kuroro into a long and riddle-like confession.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **First of all, thanks for the usual reviewers; Naura Sakakibara – the fangirl screams and the **conspiracy** LOL –wink–, Florallover – for her idea which became the main theme of this chapter and looking closely, even the whole story, phppsmss – yes, I was too engrossed in getting my point across that the paragraphs became longer than comfortable in Chapter 11 XD, sorry and I promise to do better LOL, MARYLOVER – for the suggestion about Killua, to Ate Kurapika Kuroro – for helping me scheme the **torture **(you know what I mean XD), and the rest.

By the way, there had been questions about the **GEM (Emerald of Hope)**. Well, you may not see that precious little thing here but I assure you that everything – mundane or not, that had been inserted in this story, will play some role. Even the dead Duke of Reinfield will play something in the near future. The gem, on the other hand, will be a very important artifact… For Kuroro and Kurapika that is. Well, I would not want to hint you on what role the emerald may play in their story, would I? HEHE –wink–. I hope that clarified something; that I will not leave anything behind. =). I hope XD…

This Chapter is dedicated to **Florallover**! Yes, to YOU! Your Tarzan and Jane scene is here somewhere XD, but I kinda modified it a bit LOL. Soooo… It may be pretty obvious in a sense. Or so I thought it is… XD **BUT**, I was surprised when I wrote that part because it simply became the main theme of this story in a snap. That confession-scene-blah-blah just explained the title of this fanfiction. Yeah… the title of this was not supposed to be too much of an implication and I was still thinking about when I would explain the title of this fanfic to you readers. Then, just on cue, came Florallover's scene. So, I owe you a lot Florallover –wink–. **THANKS!**

Naura, my friend and co-conspirator (LOL!), your chapter is next XD…

Thank you, everyone, for being sooo patient. Off to the story! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 13**

**Linking Earth and Sky**

Kuroro hopped off from his position and landed quietly beside the blond boy. He was shocked at the small and barely audible sound but he never doubted that it came from the unconscious blond. Immediately, he reached out for the boy's hand which was nearer to him and squeezed it gently.

"Kurapika?", he asked softly, almost fearing to wake the boy up with his voice.

With his Nen, he was able to heal the boy's worst injuries; however, his Hatsu does not posses a specialty to heal and he had not stolen any skills with the same capability yet so all he was able to do was to keep the boy alive by closing the major injuries slowly. Right then, he cannot call for Machi because he was not prepared for questions yet so he settled for calling the best healer he can find. He did find one with Hisoka's help, and with his disguise, the old lady did her best to heal Kurapika but she can only do such with her Nen. The boy's physical state has greatly improved; however, it was the blond's psychological state that had kept him in coma for a longer period of time.

He was reminded, yet again, of his conversation with the old healer after she was done with the final step of the three-day process.

"What really happened?", the healer asked her voice quaking with age. "Between the two of you, what really happened?"

"As I have told you, we met a strong enemy and ended up like this", Kuroro replied his eyes focused on the sleeping boy all the time. Deep concern was written all over his face.

"No", the old lady shook her head gently as she finished stuffing her things back in her small bag. "I was thinking about before that. Before the fight."

"What do you mean?" Kuroro asked, now looking at her, confused.

"Your friend here is all right. His wounds had been healed completely, however", she paused, raising one finger in front of her. "It is his psychological state that I am worried of."

Kuroro did not reply, instead he shifted his gaze back to the sleeping Kuruta.

"If everything that you have told me had been all that ever happened, your friend should already be waking up yesterday", the old lady explained with a sigh. "But as you can see, he is far from being conscious and that only means that his state of mind had been greatly affected by the events that had taken place."

Kuroro hesitated for a moment but decided to answer nevertheless.

"We had been what you may consider as mortal enemies for a long time", he started. He paused for a moment to admire the shocked and openmouthed gaze from the old healer but he was disappointed for it never came. "I tried to exterminate everyone in his family but missed a single member which was him." He decided to change the facts a little but to keep them on the right track so that they could keep their disguise but at the same time, he could derive a possible answer to this dilemma.

"Of course", he continued with a small nostalgic smile. "He came chasing after me for revenge."

"I see…" the old woman said absentmindedly as she continued to listen, studying the case.

"I can say that he succeeded for a short while but I was able to recover and get back with my life."

"So it became your turn to chase after him for vengeance, right?"

"You can put it like that", Kuroro stared at her, smiling. "I had placed him in a very difficult situation involving the life of someone important to him and left him like that for a couple of weeks…"

"But guilt engulfed you and you rescued him", she replied, smiling wider.

"How did you know?" Kuroro asked, surprised.

"Any young and impulsive but very passionate heart like yours would do the same thing", she said chuckling. "Please continue my boy."

Kuroro narrowed his eyes with suspicion at the old lady but being in the situation as it is, he continued upon his tale.

"Then I forced him to join me in a journey but we met an enemy and you know the rest", Kuroro said, staring intently at the old lady, looking like a young child eager to hear more legends from his grandmother.

"Do you genuinely care for the boy?" the old lady asked, her eyes showing nothing but motherly kindness.

Kuroro did not reply and put up his most emotionless Genei Ryodan leader's face instead. He looked at the sleeping boy and remained in silence.

"Ah, I have guessed right", the old lady smiled and said. "It is a lot more than care."

"What can you suggest then?", Kuroro asked, interrupting the old lady's attempt to guess his feelings.

The old lady's smile grew wider as she spoke, "I can assure you that he will wake up after a few days. However, he will remain weak and extremely vulnerable. Furthermore, he will continue to deteriorate emotionally and eventually, physically after that."

Kuroro's eyes widened at her words but he nodded at her to continue.

"If you want to keep him alive, why don't you bring a friend of him here?"

"I'm afraid that it is impossible."

"That's a really big absurdity coming from someone as capable as you, Kuroro Lucifer", the old woman replied still smiling.

Kuroro was shocked. He was so sure before that the old lady believed in his disguise. He stood up from his seat and faced the woman with as much confusion as irritation. If any news gets out that he is wandering around this part of the world with the last living Kuruta, all Hunters with enough greed and guts will be after their tails. He and Kurapika would be in great danger. And he could not afford that now; now that the boy is not even strong enough to open his eyes.

"What do you want?" Kuroro asked his usually stoic eyes glaring angrily. His Hatsu, the Skill Hunter had already materialized on his hand. He had already turned the page to a stolen ability and prepared himself to attack.

"Do not get agitated my boy", the old woman said kindly. "I already knew from the very start. And as you can see, I helped you in my very own will."

Kuroro knew this would be very out of character but he already made the book disappear and relaxed himself and his aura.

"I cannot let such a precious artifact such as this beautiful Kuruta to be extinct", she continued her warm eyes trailing to the sleeping boy. "That is why I came here to your call even though I knew who you are."

Kuroro broke his gaze to the old woman and stared back at the Kuruta.

"Do as I have told you and you will see", the old lady said. "I am entrusting you with this precious kid, Kuroro Lucifer. I fully trust in your power to protect him and I know you would, judging by how strongly you felt about him."

"The payment, as agreed, shall be transferred to your account", Kuroro said emotionlessly, never looking at the old lady's all-knowing eyes again.

"I do not need it, my child", the healer spoke kindly.

Kuroro blinked at her with surprise.

"I am also a Hunter", the old woman replied to his expression. "It is my duty to preserve such a rare species as the young Kuruta."

Without waiting for another word, she walked towards the door. But before she even touched it, Kuroro spoke.

"It may be too much, but I ask you to keep this a secret", he said.

"I will", she replied looking back. "As a Hunter, and as a dignified healer, I will. And to ensure you of my silence, let me tell you this; I know that I do not have many years left but I do not wish to hasten my death by having you running after me, Kuroro Lucifer." With that, she stepped out of the door with her kindest and warmest smile and left Kuroro with the sleeping Kuruta.

He was pulled back to reality by a slight movement from the boy's hand that he had been holding.

'Old lady, I have done what you told me', he thought. 'His friends should be hurrying to us right now.'

Another groan came from the boy's lips.

"Kurapika…" Kuroro said gently. "Don't force yourself."

"Ku…ro…", Kurapika attempted to speak of his companion's name, but his throat seemed to forbid him to do so.

"Yes it is me", Kuroro replied worriedly. "Do not strain yourself. You should go back to sleep."

"But…" another weak reply.

"Do not worry", Kuroro said, stroking the boy's hair with his free hand. "I will never leave your side. I promise I would never let anything bad happen to you. Now, rest well Kurapika."

Kurapika barely managed to give him another slight hand movement before the youngster sank back into sleep.

Kuroro, on the other hand continued upon staring and stroking the boy's hair until his phone rang. He gently laid the boy's hand to the bed before retrieving the phone from his pocket.

"Danchou!", rather high-pitched and greatly relieved yell met his eardrums.

"Yes?", Kuroro said, surprised at his subject's rather shocking admittance of concern. "Are you all right Nobunaga?"

"Uh…. Yeah Danchou. Finally!", Nobunaga replied, as if trying to catch his own breath.

"Are there any urgent problems?" Kuroro asked, his Genei Ryodan leader's persona began to kick in.

"No… th-there's none", Nobunaga stuttered as if feeling nervous.

"Then why did you call me?"

"Just to check if you're OK."

"I am OK", Kuroro replied with a sigh. He understood his subjects' paranoia. Ever since the York Shin incident, they had been like this – always fearing that there would be another avenger as strong and as cunning as the Kuruta who would be brave enough to try and kill them. Fortunately, there had been none… so far. "Are you?"

"Yes."

"Very well…"

"U-uh… Yeah… Bye."

Kuroro pushed the 'End Call' button of his phone and continued to watch over the sleeping boy.

"I think they knew it by now", he told the unconscious Kuruta.

The very next moment, he stared at the window to clear his mind and think of an alibi.

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"WHAT?!" Leorio screeched followed by Gon's jaw dropping dramatically.

Killua nodded and stuck a fork with a considerably large chunk of chocolate mousse on it, to his mouth. He mentally did a countdown to wait for another eruption from Leorio.

And it came.

"WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT DEVIL HAVE TO DO WITH KURAPIKA?!" Leorio shrieked yet again.

Everyone in the small shop turned to stare at them, giving them a variety of looks – from befuddled to annoyed. Leorio was already standing and his chair had been knocked backwards with such force the poor occupant of the seat behind him had barely evaded the lethal flying chair towards his direction. Gon on the other hand had also leaped up from his chair and was now displaying the same stance as Leorio minus the flying chair because his chair simply fell back and well… got incinirated by his aura.

Killua raised his eyebrow, savored the sweet inside his mouth and gestured his friends to calm down.

Instantly realizing what they just did, Leorio turned backwards and apologized to the now traumatized man that he nearly killed with his chair, while Gon scratched his head and smiled innocently as he apologized repeatedly to the manager of the restaurant. Killua, on the other hand, glowered at everyone in staring at their direction to scare them off to their own businesses.

As soon as the restaurant became silent again, the three resumed their conversation with greater fervor and increased tension. Killua noticed this and sighed.

"I am not going to tell you anything unless you calm down – both of you", he warned.

"How are we supposed to calm down?" Leorio muttered furiously under his breath.

Killua heard it and leaned back, while saying with his usual carefree tone, "OK then. I guess, I'll just find him by myself."

"Why you little br-", Leorio was about to stand up again to shake the truth from Killua. Fortunately, either for him or for Killua, Gon blocked him with an arm.

"Leorio, why don't we do this calmly?", Gon said, or rather pleaded, to Leorio, his chocolate-brown eyes shining with determination. "Killua's right. If we rush things out, we might end up getting ourselves in another difficult situation. You knew what happened back when we were taken as hostages. And all of those happened because we were not thinking clearly and acted impulsively. I do not want another scene like that."

'Darn Gon and his puppy-eyes!', Leorio thought angrily as he composed himself to yield with Gon's proposal. "Right. I am calming down…", he said grumpily as he relaxed his back to his new chair with his arms crossed in front of him.

Killua waited until he felt the significant decrease on his friends' output of aura before he scooped the last morsel of his mousse with his fork and elegantly slid it in his mouth. He smiled as he chewed and then swallowed.

"OK", he started. "As I was saying, Hisoka just told me where Kurapika and the leader of the Genei Ryodan are residing right now."

"How did he tell you that?", Gon asked, more on curiosity rather than worry over what Hisoka might be planning.

"What are his exact words?", Leorio rephrased his question for him.

"What do you think of me? A recorder?!", Killua snapped irritably as he gestured at them dangerously with his fork.

Leorio wondered for a moment how amazingly dangerous the small utensil, such as a fork, seem to become when handled by someone as experienced to the art of killing as Killua.

"I was so shocked it barely registered, for crying out loud!", Killua spoke rather dramatically, as if emphasizing that he had just undergone quite a traumatic encounter with Hisoka and he barely survived through it.

"Er… What do you remember then?", Gon asked again, more encouraging this time.

"Well…", Killua stuck the empty fork in his mouth for a moment to relive the encounter that took place earlier this afternoon. "He did say that Kurapika was being taken cared of, WELL, by their Danchou…"

"WE SHOULD BE PANICKING WITH THOSE WORDS RIGHT NOW!", Leorio blurted out. Truly, knowing Hisoka's choice of words, a simple statement such as Killua mentioned, could mean the exact opposite. And by his judgment, it is possible that Kurapika is barely alive right now. He could not let another moment pass.

Killua promptly kicked his face after the last word.

"OW!", Leorio complained loudly, half of him wanted to start a fight while the other half deeply contemplated on how Killua managed that kick in such a comfortable sitting position.

"IDIOT!", Killua reprimanded the older man. "I'm not done yet!"

"What did he say next?", Gon asked again with the same determined look in his face. Killua's attempt to crush Leorio's skull with the kick seemed to be ignored.

Killua warned Leorio with a glare clearly stating that another gesture which he deemed inappropriate will be dealt with a more serious blow. Leorio gulped and slumped silently on his seat.

Killua cleared his throat and continued his tale, "Hisoka added that Kurapika seemed to be enjoying it but was quite confused."

Leorio's eyes widened and color faded from his face.

Gon's head cocked to one side. "Uh…"

The Zoldyck heir sighed again. He knew that having a friend as naïve as Gon, he had to be more patient. "Yes Gon? Do you want to ask me something?"

"I simply don't get it…" Gon replied honestly, scratching the back of his head again.

"It seems that the Spider's Head is in good terms with Kurapika", Leorio explained to the youngest one. The next moment, he just realized what he just said. "IN GOOD TERMS?!" Then he looked from Gon to Killua, openmouthedly, for a confirmation. Gon, on the other hand, did the same.

Killua nodded gravely at the two of them.

"But this is Hisoka that we're talking about", Gon reasoned, unaccepting of the information presented to him. "He's not really an honest person, is he?"

Leorio nodded vigorously at Gon's statement.

"I'm not very troubled about that", Killua replied. "Do not forget that Hisoka and I are not very different."

"I guess so…" Leorio said absentmindedly.

"But you're not like him!", Gon argued childishly, eager to point out that his best friend is NOT like that demented magician. "You're a lot… Uhm…", he paused for the right word. "Nicer!"

"Gon, that's not the point", he shook his head gently towards Gon, because with the look at Leorio's face, it seems like the oldest was finally nearing the same realization.

"Eh?", Gon pondered for a moment. "What's your point then?"

"Hisoka's word choice", Killua answered.

"What's the word now?", Leorio asked.

"He mentioned 'affection'", Killua replied truthfully. "As I can remember, he told me that Kurapika is enjoying the Genei Ryodan leader's affection but he is still confused… or something like that." Killua paused for a moment to think and then continued. "But the word 'affection' was the term that got my attention and kept it there."

Leorio gulped at the mention of 'the word'. He somewhat disliked it – especially the way Hisoka used it to refer to the situation and Killua's mere repetition of it.

"Affection is a good term right?", Gon said, his face lightened up as he spoke. "It means that Kurapika is being kept all right. We don't have to worry about him getting killed now if he had won at least the leader's affection."

The oldest decided that it would be better not to snarl at the black-haired boy this time. He realized that the boy must not have understood anything yet.

"Yeah… I think that is quite safe to say", Killua replied, secretly pleased at the possibility that one of their problems – that is, keeping the Kuruta alive, can be left alone. 'But that's not what I meant…' he thought.

"Anyway, enough of that", Leorio pulled the youngsters back to the present. "We're here to talk about the location that Hisoka hinted you to right? So let's get on with that."

"Oh!", Gon exclaimed, as if he was caught doing something wrong. "Yeah Killua, let's leave the 'word-choice-thing' for now and proceed to getting Kurapika!", he said enthusiastically.

'I thought so…', Killua sighed with relief as he relaxed more in his seat. Actually, his hunch about what Hisoka meant with his words was not very comforting for any one of them. Letting either Gon or Leorio know about that little opinion of his might shock them to death, especially the older one…

"So where did Hisoka tipped you off to?", Gon asked expectantly.

Killua's eyes brightened and a small mischievous grin appeared upon his face. As a matter of fact, he was proud of his analogy about this. He grinned a little wider before speaking.

Leorio thought that the Zoldyck brat is seriously killing them with suspense.

"York Shin", Killua answered with a voice laced in mystery and-

"How can you say that?"

'Eh?', Killua was snagged back to the present. "Eh? Gon?"

"How can you say that Kurapika is in York Shin?", Gon asked, his brows furrowing as he saw the shocked and devastated look in Killua's face.

"Are you OK Killua?"

'Looks like I still have to tell them', Killua mentally sighed. 'I was hoping that I would have to do this sooner.'

"Because Hisoka told me that they were in the place where they first met", Killua answered plastering his most all-knowing smirk to cover up the anxiety that was building inside him. 'Please don't ask for details...'

"Hmmm…", Leorio fell silent for a moment.

"What is it now old man?", Killua asked, trying to look confident. 'Please don't ask!!!'

"Didn't they meet in Kurapika's hometown?", Leorio spoke, looking quite serious.

Killua fought the rather strong urge to strangle his older friend to death in front of Gon.

"Yeah! Leorio you're right."

Much to his disappointment, Gon supported Leorio. Now he would have to restrain himself from killing them both.

He inhaled and exhaled a really huge amount of air, before speaking.

"IDIOTS!", Killua screeched at them. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL LOOKING AT?!", he then shrieked at the nearby customers who were alerted by his sudden outburst.

Everyone in the restaurant resumed their own businesses immediately.

"Don't you two understand anything?!". Killua angrily snapped at his two friends in a lower and faster tone. He had already stood up from his seat and he was pointing at them dangerously with the same fork as earlier. One hand was on his hips.

Leorio was greatly reminded of Kurapika when he is in his most nagging mood. Killua, who had suffered almost as much nags as Leorio especially when it comes to his behavior and his fathomless love for sweets, might have accidentally picked up the trait.

"Er… But Killua, Kurapika met Genei Ryodan at the Rukuso Region when the Spiders killed his clan, right?", Gon explained innocently.

"NO!", Killua bellowed irately. "If Kurapika met him there, or if they even saw Kurapika there, we would not have known him! Do you understand what I mean?! KURAPIKA WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED IF HE MET HIS CLAN'S KILLERS THERE!"

"Oh…", Gon stammered meekly, clearly realizing now.

"They. Met. In. York. SHIN!"

Leorio simply gulped. He decided to keep quiet from the moment Killua screeched at them. He knew very well that the Zoldyck boy would be tolerant enough with Gon; however, he could not be sure about the same tolerance with him.

"Yeah… I think you're right about th-"

"I AM RIGHT ABOUT THAT!"

Gon scratched the back of his head innocently again, making Killua, who was in the verge of his temper, and sanity, get back to himself with another huge sigh.

"We should be going", Leorio then said after a few moments of awkward pause.

"Old man", Killua said, getting Leorio back to his seat.

Deciding not to argue, judging by Killua's murderous gestures earlier, he simply said, "Hmm?"

"You might not like what you'll see", Killua warned him quickly.

"What are y-", Leorio was about to ask what Killua meant with those words but the boy had already dashed towards the exit, closely followed by Gon. "Hey! Wait!"

He was about to reach for his wallet when he saw that Killua had already left a bundle of cash on the table, weighed down by Gon's empty glass of fruit shake. He raised a grateful eyebrow to that before heading towards the exit to join his young friends.

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"Shalnark, you can always come through the door", Kuroro spoke emotionlessly from the chair facing the sleeping boy.

"I thought it would be easier this way", Shalnark replied cheerfully as he entered the room through an open window. He deftly climbed down and closed the window behind him.

"You used Zetsu while you're still a block away from here", Kuroro spoke again, his stoic demeanor becoming more evident by the moment.

"I felt Hisoka just around here", Shalnark said, his tone suddenly became serious. "It's just a safety precaution."

"You're not here to protect me, are you?", Kuroro said sarcastically.

"He informed the others about you and Kurapika."

"I guessed that already."

"Danchou…"

"He is one of us again, Shalnark", Kuroro spoke rather firmer than usual.

"What?"

"You knew we are two limbs short", Kuroro explained. "It will not be too bad to have him again."

"You two were not in very good terms a long time ago."

Kuroro knew that Shalnark was right. He and Hisoka had not been in good terms. Years ago, Hisoka decided to join the Genei Ryodan so that he could find a chance to fight with the leader. About less than two years ago, the magician succeeded with his plans and was able to fight with Kuroro. However, he was defeated by the Genei Ryodan leader after quite a lengthy and grueling battle. He never showed up again save for a few chance encounters that merely ended with an acknowledging, though thoroughly disturbing, smile from the jester, until just a few days ago – in the most convenient time as Kuroro might describe it.

When the Kuruta was still unconscious after the argument with Kuroro, Hisoka happened to stumble upon the same city. It was nothing unusual – Hisoka had always been from city to city, looking for 'new targets', checking up on his 'unripe fruits', and chasing after his 'ripe' ones. Whatever the reason among the three mentioned, Kuroro could not care any less. Kurapika was unconscious and needed to be looked after.

It was then when Hisoka passed by their room – just a few hours after the Kuruta first fainted. A hotel staff was doing her daily cleaning and he was keeping her busy with his most charming smile to keep her eyes off his Kuruta – which might then be among the police's wanted list because of the Reinfield mansion massacre, when the door was left ajar. He did not mind that at all because anyone who would be peeking inside can easily be seen by him and he could act accordingly in every situation he could think of that might happen as a consequence of that door's current condition.

It was brief and very uneasy. The event barely lasted a second, but he had been very sure of it. Hisoka had been very careful with his aura and Kuroro would not have noticed had the magician did not pass the door and got seen. Kuroro too had mastered his Zetsu and Hisoka could have missed him if he had not seen him with his own eyes. The only one obvious there was Kurapika, who in his sleep, was emitting a familiar aura.

Actually, what made Hisoka to go in that building was Kurapika's aura. The magician was simply looking for new challengers when he sensed a very weak emission of a familiar aura nearby. Dressed in quite normal clothing – dark red button-up long-sleeved shirt and black trousers, and his hair still rusty-red but not in his signature style, he could pass for any other ordinary guy. He followed the aura which led him to the hotel. He walked in from the rooftop and continued from floor to floor searching for one of his unripe fruits. He meant no trouble, really. He was simply curious on why the Kuruta would be letting out such a recognizable trail behind him – as if he wanted to be found. Hisoka just happened to be the one to notice the bait and took it, quite eager to meet up with a 'friend' to offer a helping hand in any case – with a considerable price of course, but nevertheless, he was there to offer some help. After all, he was also looking forward into having an incredible fight with the blond in the future. Then he finally arrived at the floor where he supposed the Kuruta must be.

To his surprise, the door of the room from where Kurapika should be was ajar. He guessed that it might be room service but he was too curious to take a peek and so he walked to pass it. And he could not believe what he had seen – Kuroro Lucifer with an unconscious Kuruta. But what surprised him more was the sudden burst of protective aura that the raven haired man posed as he passed. He gave him the usual less-creepy-more-friendly smile of his and left the scene as is.

At that point, Kuroro took it off his mind already. Hisoka was simply doing his usual wandering around looking for someone to kill. They had met a lot of times before in the same manner and he never put a thought to it since Hisoka did nothing more than an acknowledging gesture before going on about his own business.

What he did not know was that after that meeting, Hisoka was able to inform his subjects about the two of them. He was not able to ask Hisoka on what he told them, and even if he was, he could not really care. The magician is a wickedly good liar and he would be in no position to judge whether what Hisoka told him is a lie or not. He deemed it better to be left uninformed rather than frustrated about the matter.

But amazingly, after a few more days, when again, the Kuruta was unconscious – this time it was because of those exploding Nen-bubbles, Hisoka strutted back to the scene. However, it was a lot different and the magician did not happen to simply pass by them but rather, he had followed them. Kuroro had not left the country yet – as he may find it quite difficult with that bloodied and half-dead Kuruta dangling on his arms, and Hisoka knew very well about that.

The magician was able to locate him only a few hours after the incident, catching him in the act of reviving the blond boy. He could not forget the expression upon the magician's face when he saw him half-out-of-his-wits with his actions cycling from trying to shake life back to the boy, embracing him while calling his name, and the most logical – healing the Kuruta's bleeding wounds with his Nen.

"I knew of a better healer", the magician's sickeningly sweet voice wafted through the air as he recalled of the event, completely forgetting about Shalnark's presence. "That little Kuruta might not survive if we do not hurry."

And so they, or rather he, tried to dress the Kuruta's more persistent wounds, as Hisoka simply stood and watched from a distance, then booked a flight towards York Shin City – where the jester mentioned about this seasoned healer.

Then after the suggestion left by the old healer, he was pushed into calling for aid. He thought of Shalnark first – since the young man was the only one who understood bits of whatever that was happening but not much yet, that he can still stay out of the major picture at the same time. But then, Shalnark must be half a world away and might not make it on time – which had been his greatest fear so far. So he sighed and resorted with the closest person ending up with an agreement with the Liar of All Liars.

"It's a deal then", he remembered Hisoka smiling his usual pleased yet still eerie smile, seemingly satisfied with the small deal; a few notches below the grin he pasted on his face when their battle finally ended.

"I'll be counting on you", he replied, on the verge of desperation.

"I never knew such a phrase existed upon your vocabulary alotted for me", Hisoka said, but suprisingly, it seemed to be true to the core and not a sarcasm. "Danchou", the magician added.

He sighed and answered as he was so sure that Hisoka would be able to pull up the act as he asked the demented jester to. "It does now", he said. "And will continue once you come back."

Hisoka smiled disturbingly again, but somehow, that eerie grin seemed to glimmer the slightest hint of friendliness. Then he left.

The magician came back a few days later with news of the success of the plan. Hisoka seemed assured that after what he said, the Kuruta's ever-loyal-friends will come rushing like a distressed herd of wildebeests towards them.

"Were you working with him?", Shalnark asked incredulously, seeing the look at the other man's eyes.

Kuroro finally realized again that he had been straying in his thoughts. It took another moment before the question sinked in to his brain. Averting his gaze from his usually cheerful brown-haired subject, he turned towards the sleeping blond boy. "Yes", he replied.

Shalnark could not believe his Danchou's words. "Is that how he became one of us again?"

"Yes."

"Danchou…"

"I do not know why you were so worried Shalnark", Kuroro said, nonchalantly. "I admit that it was not easy defeating him, but it was not that hard either. And better yet, you must be blind not to see that Hisoka is a good addition to our offensives. Phinx, Feitan and Nobunaga might be enough, but the prizes for our heads had increased significantly and we might as well look for members. It just happened that Hisoka came and presented himself. He had been with us already and although it may be hard coping up with that twisted mind of his, you can trust me enough to keep him on his leash."

"But the others", Shalnark reasoned desperately. "What would the others think?"

"Just the way you did."

"Exactly!"

"Then it would not be a problem", Kuroro answered casually. "They may not admit it, but Hisoka is a useful member. If they feared him well enough as you think they do, and then it simply serves as proof on how powerful he is."

Shalnark opened his mouth to argue but realized Kuroro's point so he closed it again.

"They might be troubled that Hisoka would be plotting soon to kill me when he gets the chance", Kuroro continued. "But I trust myself to know that unlike this slumbering Kuruta, Hisoka is not a vengeful person. His mind may work in ways no other sane human being might fathom, but I can assure you that killing me, or any Genei Ryodan member for that matter, is too far below on his list of 'To Do's' at the moment. He might as well chase after that black-haired friend of Kurapika first before he tries to mess with us again."

Shalnark could not believe how illogical yet at the same time reasonable and believable Kuroro's words about the situation were. Defeated, he sighed, "I will never understand myself for trusting you on this."

Kuroro smiled, "Because you knew, deep inside your rational faculties, that I am correct."

"Yeah…" Shalnark replied, his voice trailing off. "But still… Just to be sure. If that crazy magician ever tries to pull off some stupid prank, we – all of us, will not think twice."

Kuroro's grin just got wider, and his stoic features lightened and brightened up to a genuine, playful smile, "Do as you wish Shalnark, but you can always admit that you're wrong anytime soon."

Shalnark was surprised at their Danchou's face. This was the first time he ever saw Kuroro smile like that. But however shocking the scene seemed to be, given Kuroro Lucifer's reputation, he could not help but admit to himself that he liked this new Kuroro Lucifer than the cold and ruthless 'Danchou' he knew.

"You've… changed", Shalnark pointed out quite hesitantly.

Kuroro looked back at Shalnark with a sigh and his own stoic version of a shrug. "But I became careless of my actions lately."

"Like?"

"Losing control", Kuroro replied while closing his eyes, "Over my emotions." He was only able to talk with Pakunoda, his second in command, like this. But since the woman's death two years ago, indirectly caused by the sleeping Kuruta beside him now, it was Shalnark that took that 'duty' – of talking 'humanely' with his unguarded self.

It was Shalnark's turn to smile this time. The issue about Hisoka seemed to be long forgotten. "You'll get used to it soon", he said. "Like the way you accepted Hisoka to our group and the trust you had easily bestowed upon him."

"I guess so", Kuroro answered, raising an eyebrow to the other man's implications. Shalnark has a way on inflicting sarcasms so that the recipient would either think twice on getting angry or not get the statement at all. He narrowed his eyes at the brown-haired man's direction and then shifted back to his Kuruta.

"What will you tell the others about Kurapika now?"

"Nothing much", Kuroro said. "They don't have to know… the details."

"But they already do know something", Shalnark reminded him. "Hisoka tipped them off."

"I know about that."

"Er…?"

"The details, I believe, should be left to grow on slowly on them…", Kuroro said, his eyes fixed on the sleeping Kuruta. "Everything that Hisoka said can be categorized as trivial – for now, that is."

"You'll keep it a secret?"

"For now."

"From them?", he asked incredulously. "Danchou, they're very sharp. They'll know sooner or later."

"It would be better that way than when I go to them declaring everything. As I have said, it should be left to grow on them. Do not worry. I trust his charms."

"His charms?"

"He won you over quickly, didn't he? He'll win the others soon enough."

"I'm more – A LOT MORE, accepting, Danchou."

Kuroro simply smiled at that statement.

"So you're taking him in?"

"You are starting to sound ridiculous now", Kuroro said with a slight chuckle. "I thought you already figured that out."

"I mean… as one of us?"

"Yes."

"Danchou", Shalnark said, worry evident in his voice again. "You can always take him as a 'prisoner', you know… as a 'captive'. That way, you can keep him with us until he gains everyone's trust enough before forging a deeper bond. The others will not really agree to this if you suddenly pull him to be one of 'us'."

"I already thought about that."

"And Nobunaga?", Shalnark said again, eager to be assured that everything will be all right, at the same time, trying his best to remind Kuroro of all the angles. "You knew how angry he was when Ubo died."

"I thought about him most, actually. And do not worry about him. I made a special plan just for him."

"You REALLY thought a lot about this?"

"Sleepless nights gave me opportunities to formulate better strategies."

Shalnark was not surprised at the statement but he was stunned to see the warmth in those usually cold and lifeless dark orbs.

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"Old man", Killua called loudly. "Wake up!"

Leorio was rudely pulled out of dreamland with Killua's voice. The first thing he saw that morning was the gleaming pile of silver – which was Killua's head followed by a sharp but not damaging tap on the head. His first thought was to wish of a gold pile rather than a silver one to be the first thing he sees every morning.

"Kurapika…", he murmured dreamily, obviously, his mind was still treading the land of slumber while his body was already struggling to be awake.

Gon, who was sitting just on the other side of Leorio's bed, pushed his head on the older man's line of sight. "That's right Leorio! We're getting Kurapika. Wake up!"

Leorio was finally, yet slowly, coming to his senses. "Kurapika?"

Killua debated with himself to deliver another sharp tap on the man's head. But Gon's vigorous and very enthusiastic nods to the old man's dreary words were enough to stop him.

"Kurapika!", Leorio finally realized in a half-yell. He quickly jumped out of bed with only his pants on and clenched his right fist forward and gritted his teeth, as if preparing for a fight.

Gon barely twitched his head to dodge Leorio's act of jumping out of bed and resumed his eagerness to relate their – his and Killua's carefully laid out plan of last night to Leorio. "Hurry up and get dressed Leorio. We'll discuss the plan after breakfast", he said. He then pointed towards the small round table set on one corner of the room with a decent breakfast – a little more to give them the energy they might need for that day.

'Kurapika', Leorio thought to himself. 'We'll get you back no matter what.'

It was a blur of dark colors and the two youngsters were quite shocked to notice that Leorio had disappeared from the bedside as the bathroom door shut closed and the shower was turned on.

"He can be really fast when he wants to", Killua commented still wide-eyed.

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"So, what's the plan?", Leorio asked after swallowing the relatively huge chunk of ham and cheese sandwich.

"You couldn't wait until after breakfast eh, Pops?", Killua smirked.

"I just wanted him out of there, BRAT", Leorio replied, after gulping down the last drops of his coffee.

"I told you," Killua reminded him. "You might not like what you might see."

"If Kuroro Lucifer is hurting Kurapika when we get there, then even I wouldn't like that!", Gon pouted.

"Are you sure you want to hear it?", Killua ignored Gon's innocent comment and focused on the older man instead. "Gon might not understand but I'm sure you will."

"What are you talking about?", Leorio and Gon blurted together.

Killua had thought about this scene ever since they arrived in York Shin last night and he had earned enough patience for both of his companions to speak about the matter. "Nothing really", he started, his smirk becoming more serious. "I just decided that it's about time for the two of you to hear the whole story before we break into the scene."

Leorio forgot everything about the rest of his last sandwich and focused his entire attention to Killua. Gon on the other hand decided to do the same by emptying the contents of his glass to his mouth before leaning closer to the Zoldyck heir.

Killua knew very well that barging in an unexpected scene might ruin their plans so he thought that none would be a better time than today to inform his friends about the matter. "Hisoka did not just drop in and out of the scene telling me that Kurapika and Kuroro Lucifer were in York Shin", he started as he closed his eyes. He awaited no reply and continued, ignoring the words forming upon his friends' lips. "Aside from telling me that Kurapika is being taken cared of affectionately by the leader of the Spiders, he also told me that…"

"That?", Gon and Leorio chorused, the older man biting the end of his tie.

"That they look really romantic and he referred to York Shin as the birthplace of their love story", he said straightforwardly – as courageous as he can get.

Leorio looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon while Gon's pupils were much dilated with shock.

A mental countdown was done in his mind again. Three. Two. One…

Leorio only managed a whimper which resembled a faint 'no'.

"K-kura-p-pika?", Gon stammered in disbelief. "L-love st-tory?"

Killua nodded gravely as he sighed heavily. The news sounded like a death sentence.

"However", he added, eager to put the two back to their light mood when they set out in retrieving the blond. "Hisoka also told me that Kuroro Lucifer had been protecting Kurapika in a way."

Leorio and Gon's eyes could have actually popped out of their sockets right now. Killua thought that the two ought to thank their strong facial muscles that had successfully restrained the escape of their eyeballs.

"You… I-I don't get it", Gon said exasperatedly. He was not expecting this.

"Kurapika…", Leorio whispered helplessly. "Is this the same Kurapika we're talking about?", he added sarcastically, knowing the answer very well. "I thought he hated-"

"He does", Killua replied determinedly, quite desperate to keep his companions' spirits up. "It came out from Hisoka. Even though I knew that the information about the location is true, I cannot judge if he's just aggravating things to play maniacally with us. But just in case, I told you about this so that there'll be no more surprises."

It seemed to work for Leorio, who stood up eagerly and said, "All right! It doesn't matter. What's the plan?!"

However, Gon seemed to be too confused then for his mind to work properly. He was deep in his thoughts. A weird feeling welled up inside him. It seemed to be a premonition of what to come, but no matter how he sees it and disagrees with it, it does not seem bad at all.

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"Kuroro?", a weak voice called out from behind him making him jump from his armchair facing the fireplace.

He rushed to the figure weakly struggling to get up from bed. "Don't get up, Kurapika", he ordered firmly.

Kurapika's eyes widened at the man's words. It was an order which he needs to follow for the sake of a friend. Kurapika laid down or rather, collapsed on his bed again.

Kuroro seated gracefully back to the chair beside the blond, checking the dextrose bag hanging on the pole first before getting back on the boy. "How are you feeling now?", Kuroro inquired, poking his head – which was still bandaged to cover the cross, to the boy's line of sight while trying his best not to look too concerned.

Kurapika blinked at the expressionless look from Kuroro's face. The dark lines under the man's eyes gave him quite an approximation on how long the man had been looking after him. "Quite OK…", he said wearily. "What happened?"

"You were badly injured", Kuroro started, giving the boy a glass of water to drink. "And you lost a lot of blood."

"Blood…", Kurapika repeated as he held the glass on his hand and drank from it. "I lost consciousness again, didn't I? After the explosions…"

Kuroro nodded once, his emotionless face not changing. "I thought you would die", he said almost inaudibly. "I barely got you out of there alive", he added.

Kurapika stared at the now empty glass instead of the man he was talking to. "How long had I been sleeping this time?"

"More than a week now", Kuroro answered, nodding his head towards the dextrose bag. "You nearly died, really."

"My wounds-", Kurapika started noticing that his body is not aching as it was before everything went dark.

"We got a good healer to tend your injuries last week", Kuroro answered.

Kurapika's eyes widened for a moment when he thought he saw the glint of warmth and 'kindness' from Kuroro's raven-tinted eyes. However, there are more pressing matters at the moment. He can deal with Kuroro's weird actions later.

"We?"

Kuroro raised an eyebrow. "Yes", he replied nonchalantly.

"Someone was here with 'us'?", Kurapika asked, his tone becoming a bit troubled. Of course, he does not want the whole Genei Ryodan seeing him in that weakened state. Much more, he could not defend himself right now if ever the Spiders tried killing him since he could not even pull himself to get up. However, he highly doubted that, seeing their leader's apparent concern in keeping him alive.

"No not the others", Kuroro said, his face turning into a crooked smile. "He is a friend of yours. As a matter of fact, I think he may have contributed a lot to the commotion you caused back in York Shin."

Kurapika turned his face to Kuroro now, his attention was now focused to the man. He was half-hoping, half dreading that the man will mention a name among his three friends. "Who is it then?", he asked, restraining his voice to tremble.

"Hisoka", Kuroro replied with a mischievous glint in his eyes. His smile widened into the naughty grin that Kurapika hated to see upon his face – as he looks extremely attractive with that stupid grin of his. "He seemed concerned for your well-being, Kurapika. He followed your weak aura back in Ferinn City when you were unconscious then. And days later, he tracked me down while I was taking you to safety and failing to heal you at the same time", he added with a chuckle then continued, "Then he suggested a good healer and helped me bring you here."

Kurapika's eyes twitched a little as he swallowed while hiding a shudder. "Hisoka?"

"In the flight, he told me that you have known each other during the Hunter Exam", Kuroro said, wanting to keep the mood light for the meantime. "Is that true?"

"Yes", Kurapika replied, almost hesitating since he was wondering which could be true – he being friends with Hisoka or he and Hisoka knowing each other during the Hunter Exam? He chose to respond the latter keeping in mind that even at his most childish moment – Kuroro had not tricked him into such a simple question. "He traumatized most of the applicants there", he added, for 'emphasis'.

"I expected that", Kuroro replied with another chuckle, probably noticing Kurapika's shudder earlier. "The other Spiders seem to agree with your statement."

Kurapika suppressed a laugh. This little conversation is turning him nuts! He was quite sure that Kuroro was half-crazed when he asked him about his favorite color back in Ferinn, but speaking like this about Hisoka… it was simply too much. Although he definitely would not deny that Hisoka simply has that 'effect' to people – well, to normal and sane ones, that is.

"He's not really a 'friend'", Kurapika said, clarifying the matter.

"Unlike those we captured?", Kuroro asked, eyes gleaming again with that same warmth as his ocean-blue orbs locked with Kuroro's.

"Very much unlike those three", Kurapika replied dreamily.

Kuroro noticed the unexplicable affection radiating from the Kuruta's blue eyes whenever the boy mentions his friends. "You do love them very much, don't you, Kurapika?", he asked quite tenderly.

"What?", Kurapika blurted, quite stupefied.

"I really hope that you have not gone deaf", Kuroro joked.

Kurapika regained his composure and swallowed before speaking again. "What do you know about love?", he murmured sarcastically, averting his gaze to Kuroro's eyes. He hated seeing those dazzling orbs glinting with the authenticity of such words.

Kuroro's hand flashed from his side to Kurapika's chin. Gently, he pulled the boy's face to turn to his and with a smile he said, "Kurapika, is it so hard to understand that I am not very different from you and your friends?"

Kurapika's eyes widened at that but he decided against swatting the man's hand away. After all, he was very gentle and his firm hold does not even hurt; however, anyone who catches them in that position might make drastic and highly embarrassing conclusions – for him at least. "W-what do you mean?, he stuttered, getting nervous at the situation.

"I am human too, Kurapika", Kuroro said almost in a murmur. His voice was softer than the blond had ever heard it before. "I also possess the feelings that you and your friends have", Kuroro paused, letting go of the boy's chin and reaching out for the boy's hand instead. In a moment, he was holding the Kuruta's hand and placing it over his chest, just where his heart is.

"K-kuroro…", Kurapika seemed to resist, but the man's hold was firm enough to keep his hand in place. After a few moments, he finally felt the man's heartbeats – calm and light. It was far from what his friend – Senritsu, had described back in York Shin. He supposed the beat to be hollow or terrible in some way, as the Music Hunter told it to be, but right now, as far as his hand can sense it, it was not very much different from his own. Well not exactly the same as right now, because his own heart is beating wildly in his chest, he meant the similarity to be when he is calm and collected. However, he also gave thought that given Senritsu's amazing hearing ability, maybe, she had heard not only the physical heartbeat of humans…

For that same moment, a bizarre thought raced through Kurapika's mind. He 'somewhat' felt an odd urge to slid his hand away and put his face – his cheek and ear, instead and lean on that strong, warm chest. At the same time, before he even went deeper into that strange and quite dangerous, not to mention embarrassing, thought, his mind drifted into his ancestors and fallen tribesmen. In his mind, he saw each of them rising from their graves and grabbing their weapons to kill him for even having such an 'urge'… His eyes widened as he mentally shook himself to reality.

'For the love of GOD!', he screamed angrily and desperately in his head, feeling his heartbeat raising and his face heating up. 'KURAPIKA! YOU'RE A KURUTA FOR HEAVENS' SAKE! THIS DEVIL KILLED EVERYONE YOU 'LOVED' AND TRIED KILLING EVERYONE YOU 'LOVE'!'

He then imagined his friends' faces once they knew that such a thought existed in his mind; Gon will be traumatized for life, Killua might attempt to crack open his skull to check his brain if there's something wrong – without any anaesthesia nor guarantee that the young assasin will bring his head back in place, and Leorio… Well, the young man was quite obvious for his feelings. That worries Kurapika more as he loves Leorio so much the older man is comparable to a brother – no more, no less. Leorio is his older brother. And he hated himself for not being able to give the same intensity of love that Leorio had reserved for him. If Leorio knows about this 'hideous' thought, he might...

He stopped thinking about it. Kurapika focused on keeping his face from getting red and that left him with a confused-looking expression.

"Of all the people", Kuroro continued; his tone and voice unchanging, and his dark eyes glinting. "I trusted that you would be the one to know that I have a heart – as you have chained it quite literally just two years ago. Why would it be hard then to accept that as a human, I would have feelings such as love and concern too? Why would you ask in that train on our way to Ferinn, if I am really worried? Does it mean that as a leader of a murderous group of bandits, I am not gifted with such emotions?"

He finally managed to contain all of his hatred for the man back in place and focused on that, completely forgetting about his earlier musings – for the meantime. He thought of breaking free but at his current state, he should know better than to struggle. Kuroro is far stronger than him – even more so right now while he is stll in a weakened state. Struggling to break free will only waste precious energy which he could use later to heal himself. However, with the warmth of the man's body which he was now feeling with his hand on the man's chest and beneath the man's hand, he could not help but feel uneasy. And the man's words were boring holes in his head and painfully, in his heart. Is he losing in this small battle against Kuroro Lucifer? Is the Genei Ryodan's leader finally winning him over?

"I admit", Kuroro said, finally freeing Kurapika's hand from his and relaxing his back to his seat. The boy immediately clutched his hand protectively with his other hand. Kuroro was not surprised to see this, actually, he expected a slap, but then again, Kurapika is not a very 'conventional' kind of person. "I admit that I personally think those feelings exist only in the hearts of weak individuals. Sentimental human beings… Humans are very much more fragile when such feelings are draped upon their hearts. That's why I often thought of closing myself from those emotions." He stood up to admire the early morning sunshine upon the glass window, which had successfully tinted his Kuruta's hair with gold.

He smiled at the now confused boy before turning his back to the youngster and walking towards the painting on that part of the room. "But", he continued his speech, very much aware that the boy is listening quite attentively. "I fail to do so whenever the people I cared for face danger – very much like you when we took your friends and used them against you."

Kurapika slightly clenched his fist at the memory but continued to listen without any words.

"Kurapika, it is just a matter of who are those people that can be used against you", Kuroro said quite sagely. "You know very well that my comrades are very important to me, no matter how you view our relationship. I still care enough to weep for them when they die, or to pay any price for their freedom. I am still willing to die for the betterment and safety of the whole group and knowing you, I trust that you knew very well that such kind of bond is not much different to that you have with your friends."

No matter how much he denies it, right now, Kurapika knew that he is fighting a losing battle against his old vengeful self. Kuroro Lucifer – his mortal enemy, is slowly winning him over.

"It may be true that the people I cared for are not that moral compared to yours. Also, I can safely say that many see the world as a safer place without them. But that is not the point. Care is not about the kind of people that a person cares for, but it is all about the intensity of that care bestowed by that person to those he cared for. Everyone had their faults, it just so happens that our faults are larger and more obvious than healthy, but it can be accepted. Tolerance is a skill that can be learned quite safely."

Kurapika can see how twisted yet very much correct the situation and the logic were.

"The world is not painted in plain black and white – and even in between, there are various shades of gray. Not even right and wrong can be easily segregated from one another, as it is reason that stands as the thin line that separates yet connects one from the other. Even the earth and sky are not that totally far away, because when you look straight at them, there is always some point – the horizon, where the heavens and the lands meet", Kuroro spoke. At this point he turned to face the blond again. "You and I are not very different Kurapika. Neither are love and hate nor light and dark. There is always something to connect opposites; compromise for love and hate, balance for light and dark. And after the collision, as all kinds of balance are achieved, the fruits are also neither all good nor all bad but rather a mixture of both – depending on one's point of view."

He smiled again, genuinely and charmingly – or so Kurapika thought, towards the boy before ending his speech, "I am a very patient person Kurapika. I am willing to wait until you have finally accepted the meaning of my words."

Kurapika opened his mouth to say something but willed himself against it. Everything that the man had spoken about was reasonable or maybe even true after all. But he was confused. In the end, after a long sigh, he asked, "And what is the meaning of your words that I should be accepting soon?"

"You will know when you finally accepted it", Kuroro replied with a smirk.

Kurapika rolled his eyes with the statement.

"In the meantime, prepare yourself."

Surprised, the Kuruta inquired, "For what?"

"Guests."


	14. A Sudden Change of Hearts Part I

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **As the Kuruta's condition improved during the visit, Kuroro immediately ordered the boy's Judgment Chain to be lifted from Killua. Later, he explained to the blond that he had no more intentions of using the Zoldyck boy to force him into doing everything he wanted; rather, he made up a treaty for the two of them. Killua, on the other hand noticed something in the room that totally changed his mind in retrieving Kurapika.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** First of all, THANKS to all of those who have been reading BALANCE and more, to those who reviewed! You were the ones who had inspired me to write some more and develop the tricks and twists that you have suggested ever since. Thanks for keeping up with this story. Just to remind you, English is not my Mother Tongue but I am doing my best, as a Communications major, to keep this story flowing through the numerous roads and pathways of the English language. XD. I do hope that my words and the discourses of this text do not sound like a nuisance that might grate unceremoniously upon your nerves LOL.

The delays were brought about by me being engrossed with a great boxing match XD: Manny Pacquiao vs Miguel Cotto, that I totally forgot that it was Sunday. And, this cahpater being too long that I have to revise and divide it into two separate chapters (Monday).

Then to the usual reviwers! Weee… To Ate Kurapika Kuroro, yes yes yes XD we shall –evil laugh–, hope you'll be fine soon. Call me! XD. To phppsmss, you'll see it pretty soon. To Florallover, la la la, I am hoping that I will be able to insert a lot more room in this fic for fangirl screams LOL (I do think this chapter has one "screamable" part… HAHA I hope you'll be able to spot it)! MARYLOVER, you are SOOO CORRECT =). And to Leorio fans, well, I promise to make it up to you. To Elena Hitachiin! Hey you better get on with Hunters x Dares x Insanity! AHAHA I can't wait to read the next installment. And yeah, Kuroro's a bit mushy nowadays and for the days to come –giggles like Hisoka–. To kaeri04, thank you for taking time and reviewing this story. I am happy that you loved reading my story. To kenshina, thanks for reading and reviewing this story! YAY! Whoa! Thank you for liking the way I write XD. I am glad that I was able to rekindle your love for KuroxKura fics (That was a part of my objectives) and for making your day happy. I hope you'll be sticking around more. =) And to gin, you really freaked me out (in a positive way) when you oh-so-correctly read through my plans. HAHA XD. I hope that you'll stick around for the next chapters and until the end since your ideas/suggestions/guesses will be happening at the latter part of this story. Great job for knowing those! –salute–. Also, thanks for sticking up with this story!

NAURA!This is it! Your Chapter's right here. –wink wink wink– YAY! Now, I've promised to give you this chapter because of the flower-scene, and so I will. Also, since this Chapter is way too long for my liking, I decided to divide it into two parts; A Sudden Change of Hearts (Part I) and A Sudden Change of Hearts (Part II). So, next Chapter will also be for you, since in this chapter, I introduced the "flowers" to everyone and in the next chapter, I'll be inputting the "meanings" of the "flowers".

Please be reminded that I will be posting things a lot later than usual due to school and theater stuff. Yeah, and I will be moving out of the house to an apartment nearer to my 'one-to-two-hours-ride' school next week. The semester had only started but the teachers are already piling work. Worse, I have a theater class where I (and the rest of my classmates) am required to take part as a member of production staff (backstage and designs because of my talent/skill). So, imagine how busy that will be =/. Tsk tsk tsk… this is what I get for studying at the country's premier university. Anyway, I can promise to get on with the story as cramming gives me a lot of (juicy) ideas –wink–, so just sit tight and please keep up with me XD. Thanks.

So much for that. Off to the story! Enjoy =)!

**CHAPTER 14**

_**A Sudden Change of Hearts (Part I)**_

A young man in his early twenties drummed his fingers lightly upon the steering wheel of the rented car. He had been focusing his attention to the road and to his surroundings too much that he did not notice the frustrated teenager at the backseat. Out of curiosity and boredom, he asked, "Killua, how are we going to get there?"

"Get where?", the silver-haired boy behind him answered irately, followed by a series of murmured expletives.

"To Kurapika, of course", the young man replied, still focused on the road. He ignored the urge to reprimand the youngster about the sputtered foul words. "You just told me that our plan is to use Zetsu all the time, sneak to Kurapika and Kuroro Lucifer, then get Kurapika out of here in the most appropriate process depending on what Lucifer's orders on Kurapika. You never told me how we are getting to him. Or even, you never told me about the real plan. But I know you said the real plan can wait, but as the driver, you should tell me on how we are getting to where he is in this large city. And let me remind you that he could be anywhere here in York Shin."

"DAMN!", the silver haired boy exclaimed angrily deciding to smash his phone to pieces. Fortunately, the spiky-haired boy beside him good-naturedly caught the phone in mid-air just before it crashes to the car's floor.

"Killua, relax", the calmer and younger-looking boy said, clutching the phone and debating to himself whether to give the phone back to its owner or not just yet. After all, it is quite disappointing for a good, and not to mention expensive, phone to suffer such a tragic fate.

"What's going on?", the young man behind the wheel asked after hearing the outburst behind him.

"I can't access the internet with that DAMNED PHONE!", the silver-haired boy yelled angrily, tugging silver strands dramatically off his head.

"Don't worry Killua", the younger boy beside him said soothingly. "Leorio will just take us to an internet café, and you can access the internet there. Won't you, Leorio?"

"Internet café?", the young man, Leorio, replied. "OK. I'll look for one. Just sit tight there kids", he added in quite a paternal manner.

Killua, the silver-haired boy, simply huffed. He had just bought that phone more than a week ago, just a few days before Hisoka came to aid them in their search. It was quite an expensive model but he bought it as it bragged of having the fastest built-in mobile browser of all time. It worked really well, until now – which is the one of the most crucial reasons for its existence.

"Now, calm down for a bit, OK?", Gon, the spiky-haired boy said as he handed the phone back to Killua, who simply took it and shoved it to his pocket carelessly.

"So", Leorio finally started again, using the time provided by the huge traffic jam to ask. "How are we getting to Kurapika?"

Killua, who seemed to have forgotten about his cellphone incident earlier, replied with a knowing smirk. "With this", he said, his hand holding his Hunter License Card high for Leorio to see through the rear-view mirror.

"Hunter Card?", the young man said, quite confused.

"I get it!", Gon exclaimed happily. "We'll use the Hunter Card to get information on where Kurapika might be!"

"Whose Hunter Card?", Leorio asked, getting the point, but not the whole idea. "Yours or Kurapika's?"

"Both actually", Killua replied, returning the Hunter Card to his pocket. "We'll use my Card, or any of ours for that matter, to access the Hunter Site. Hopefully, the Hunter Site will give us information on where Kurapika's Hunter Card had been used here in York Shin – in hotels, restaurants, fastfoods, and the like. If Hisoka's words are true, which I believe were, then Kurapika and Lucifer are here in York Shin and could have at least used the Hunter Card once. You know, in travelling and stuff. But right now, that accessing part is done, so all we need to do is check my mail to see if any updates are on."

"I don't mean to burst your bubble", Leorio replied. "But Kuroro Lucifer may be a thief who steals things and all but he is also one wickedly cunning, bastard. He might not have sold Kurapika's Hunter Card – with all those benefits, but I doubt that he would be using it as well if he wanted to keep Kurapika. I mean, if Hunters can be tracked down by the transactions made with their License Cards, then I doubt if that devil ever used Kurapika's License."

Gon's grin was quickly pulled away from his face. "Last time you checked, you said that it hadn't been used since Kurapika's last mission, right Killua?"

"I may be young, but I'm a former professional assassin, you two. I know what I'm saying and I thought about that too. We might as well try and that's only Plan A", Killua replied coolly.

"What is Plan B?", Gon asked excitedly, his eyes glowing again with determination.

"If Lucifer had not used Kurapika's License indeed, then we track down another Hunter."

"Who?", Leorio asked, his eyes focusing on the road again as he searched for the nearest internet café.

"I've done some research and I found out that a Spider named Shalnark is a Hunter like us", Killua answered. "He was the one with the computer and the weird remote control back when we were hostages."

Gon and Leorio grimaced.

"Oh! That happened after you two were knocked out", Killua suddenly remembered and scratched his head apologetically.

"So you mean we'll track him down instead?", Leorio asked.

"Yep", Killua replied. "I checked up on him days ago and found out that he's here in York Shin too. So I figured that he might be meeting with Lucifer and Kurapika."

"We're tracking down a Spider?!", Leorio exclaimed, a hint of fear evident in the slight cracking of his voice.

"You got it old man", Killua replied proudly.

"That's dangerous!", Leorio half-yelled. "You know what happens when we mess around the Genei Ryodan!"

"We're not going to fight him, Pops, so relax", Killua answered coolly, waving his forefinger in tune of his words.

"Eh?", Gon's highly determined look – which Killua dubbed as the look Gon reserves to worthy opponents, was quickly changed into sheer confusion.

"I'm not suicidal!", Killua responded to Gon's quite disappointed look and Leorio's worries. "That Shalnark might look really calm and quite friendly, you know, less hostile compared to that samurai that had been itching to sink his blade into our necks when we disagreed to join them… BUT, he is still a Spider, for all we know, he might even be worse."

Leorio gulped at the statement that seemed too carefree coming from a fourteen year old, but anyway, he was still curious to know more about their plan. "What will we do when we find him then?"

"We'll follow him, of course", Killua replied simply, in a way that made his two companions imagine him yawning with boredom.

"Like when you two followed the two Spiders back in York Shin?", Leorio asked, his face twitching with disbelief.

"Pretty much."

"I thought you said that you're not suicidal."

"I am not", Killua replied, showing more patience than normal. It was obvious that the young Zoldyck heir is very confident.

"That's still quite dangerous", Gon said, his voice dubious of the plan but excited in his very own naïve way. "Killua, you remember what happened when we followed Ryodan members?"

"Yep", Killua said nodding vigorously with a huge Gon-like grin, a childish trait he picked up from, who else but Gon.

"Then why?"

"Gon", Killua replied feigning frustration. "That was more than two years ago. And even so, we did give the Spiders a hard time back then eh? Our Zetsu was still not developed yet at that time, but now, I doubt it if he'll even notice."

"Oh…"

"So you mean", Leorio interrupted, finally realizing the plan. "That we'll follow him until he heads to where Kurapika and the Spider's leader are."

"Bingo, old man!"

"And what if he does not go there then?", Leorio snapped right back up. "He might be here but personal visits are not the only means of communication. Even more, Lucifer might be putting him around here to trick us!"

"You got a point", Killua answered calmly again. "We'll follow him for a whole day. If he does not contact Kuroro Lucifer constantly, then he must be not here for an important mission, say, tricking the Kuruta's friends. So we move to Plan C."

"Wow", Gon said admiringly, "You're really prepared!"

"I'm not the Zoldyck heir for nothing little boy", Killua replied jokingly.

"And what is Plan C?", Leorio asked as the car stopped to yet another traffic jam. His eyes focused on the buildings but there were no internet café on sight yet. After all, this is the richest part of the city. He concluded that the internet cafés might be somewhere in the middle-class district.

"Well", Killua then lay back more comfortably on his seat. "Almost the same as Plan B, but we'll follow a different person."

"Somehow, I don't like the sound of that", Leorio muttered nervously.

"Who will we follow then?", Gon asked, cocking his head to the side innocently, eyes gleaming with enthusiasm and fortitude.

"Our 'guide'", Killua said, smiling in quite a predatory manner.

"HISOKA?!", Leorio blurted out, accidentally setting off the horn of the car, which the two boys promptly ignored.

"You're getting quicker in this Pops!", the Zoldyck boy exclaimed smugly.

Leorio did not notice the implied insult and continued to stare nervously at a distance, his mouth hanging open.

"We'll follow Hisoka?", Gon asked, seeking for clarification.

Killua turned his eyes to his seatmate. "Yes Gon", he replied, his bright, excited eyes looking straight at Gon's. He paused for a light chuckle, and then continued. "I think it wouldn't be hard for you. You did follow him for days in the Hunter Exam right? And he never knew that until the last moment. Not to mention that you do not even have the slightest idea what Nen is at that time."

Gon nodded once, fire seemed to be burning deeply in those brown orbs. His fists clenched into his lap – a sign that Killua sensed to be sheer excitement for adventure.

"He was the one who lead us here right?", Killua said again, closing his eyes and relaxing his back to his seat. "He might be around here somewhere right now. After checking for Shalnark, I also checked for him and he's here in York Shin too. I do not know what happened between him and Kurapika that might have triggered that weirdo to help us. But, I'm pretty sure that if there's nothing like that, then he might have something to do with Lucifer."

"You mean, he could be a Spider?", Leorio, who had just regained composure, asked.

"Judging by his sadistic tendencies, I think he's more than qualified", Killua replied, rolling his eyes in his own words. Then he sighed, "If only Kurapika had not been so darn secretive… I really believe that Hisoka and Kurapika had somewhat conspired at some point during the York Shin incident two years ago. I mean, we're his best friends! AND we're probably the only ones living in this world that are caring for him this much! And he kept his mouth shut whenever I ask him if ever Hisoka indeed helped him with the Spiders back in York Shin as the weirdo promised during their fight in the Hunter Exam."

"You think he did…", Gon said, thinking deeply.

"He's the kind of guy that will do such", Killua replied, his hand flying to his chin. "And perhaps, what else would motivate him? It's only either he's on Kurapika's side or he's on Lucifer's side."

"You mean this can be a trap?", Leorio asked, as he finally reached the part of the city where they could probably find an internet café.

"No", Killua answered. "I don't think that this is a trap. If Hisoka's working with Lucifer, then it only means that Kuroro Lucifer wanted us to be near."

"Why would he want that?! To kill us?", Leorio blurted out angrily behind the wheel.

"If he wanted to kill us, then he would only send his men to hunt us down – like last time", Gon replied with a frown of frustration as he too is confused. "The Spiders that attacked me and Killua are not even using half of their abilities. And they're not even the whole troop. So I think that if Kuroro Lucifer wanted us dead, then he will not make such an elaborate plan to use Hisoka as our 'guide'. He'll simply order his men to kill us and they'll gladly chase us.""d us to be wanted to could probably find an internet cafe.

Leorio opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out, instead, he shook his head while muttering, "I don't understand…"

"Gon's right", Killua said. "As I was saying, it's either Hisoka's with Kurapika or he's with Lucifer. If he's on Kurapika's side, then he might be checking on Kurapika every now and then, right? We can get to Kurapika that way. But if he's on Lucifer's side, then he'll probably be with Lucifer which, my friends, is Kurapika's captor, slash, guardian, for now. So either way, he might lead us to Kurapika."

"Oh…", Leorio simply nodded slowly, taking in every word that the young Zoldyck had said with a tone of admiration.

"And there's Plan D", Killua said, cutting out Leorio's 'Oh…' and Gon's widening grin. "I do not want to resort to that but if all else fails, then I don't think we have much choice."

"Plan D?", Gon repeated. "You mean all other plans might fail?"

"Yes", Killua admitted with a sigh. "There might be a chance that Shalnark or Hisoka will leave York Shin any time soon. After all, they're not really necessary since Lucifer's words are a lot more than enough to keep Kurapika 'safe'."

"OK, so what's Plan D?", Leorio asked. He figured out that by the tone of Killua's voice that Plan D does not seem dangerous but is quite boring or time consuming. After all, he knew the brat well to safely declare that the boy is too lethargic to settle for less adventurous pursuits.

"We'll search for Kurapika in our very own way", Killua said sighing.

"But Killua! What if the Spiders' leader commands Kurapika not to leave the place? You'll die!", Gon nearly yelled but was able to control the volume of his voice to higher than normal but still not irritatingly loud.

"That's why I asked the two of you to be in Zetsu even before the plane lands and remain in Zetsu as long as we're here in York Shin", Killua said with a quite wicked grin.

"What? Why?", Leorio and Gon chorused, it seems that they are anything but clarified.

"The real plan, my friends, is that we'll kidnap Kurapika!", Killua replied enthusiastically, his grin widened from the wicked Killua-version, into the childish Gon-version. "Everything I told the two of you are the preliminaries."

"WHAT?!", Leorio blurted again, this time kicking on the brakes, causing the car to stop prematurely on the parking lot.

"Old man", Killua said in an all-knowing smirk. "Don't worry, we'll not hurt your dearest Kurapika", he teased, but Leorio was flabbergasted

rematurely on the parking lote kicking on the lands and remain in Zetsu as long as we'and was still gaping openmouthed at them, his glasses askew. "We'll just knock him unconscious even before he notices us and then runaway with him to a certain meeting point which I will discuss to you in detail later. Then after that we'll all live happily ever after!"

Gon and Leorio who had been listening eagerly both paled at the final statement.

Killua opened his mouth to reprimand them but he realized their point. "I know… I know… Having the whole Phantom Brigade after our tails does not sound like happily ever after. But anyway, it's a whole lot easier with the four of us watching each other's backs, right guys?"

"You're quite right Killua, but that does not solve our problem about Kuroro Lucifer commanding Kurapika not to escape."

"It does Gon", Killua said with yet another smirk. "If we keep our Zetsu, Kurapika would never know that we're even here. Then, if we kidnap him, even if Kuroro Lucifer orders him to stay put, if he had been unconscious all the time therefore having no control and knowledge of the whole situation, he will not be penalized by the Judgment Chain – in our case, I will not die. But we can still have him with us. Get my point?"

"But once he wakes up…"

"We'll seal his Nen before he wakes up", Killua interrupted. "I have a Nen-Sealer to meet here in York Shin for that. And when he wakes up, he'll just have to re-learn his Nen by changing his chains' conditions before acquiring them again. I've already got connections with Shisho – Kurapika's Nen-Master. He said that it's possible and he'll be more than happy to help."

"Eh?", Gon and Leorio gazed openmouthed at him with amazement.

"So, you two really thought that I'm not very much prepared?", Killua asked confidently.

"How did you get all of those connections? Like worming through the Hunter Site like that? And being able to know Kurapika's Nen-Master as if you've been pals!", Leorio blurted with disbelief as he skillfully squeezed their car on a parking space. "Kurapika barely even opens up like that! And HE rarely even talks to YOU…"

"I told you Pops", Killua started as he hopped off the car following Gon. "I HAVE connections."

"But you're just a kid!", Leorio exclaimed loudly.

"Never underestimate a kid, old man", Killua said, as he walked together with Gon towards the internet café. "Especially when he's a Zoldyck."

"YOU DID THAT?!", Kurapika yelled in surprise, his voice rising as well as his whole body, a terrible headache surged up too much that he felt as if his skull was being torn in half.

Immediately, a warm hand darted from beside him to his chest, gently pushing him back to lie down in his bed.

"I am not going to order you for lying down because it seems that you're body is moving on its own now", Kuroro said gently as he withdrew his hand from the younger one's chest. "But please try to calm down. I do not want your condition going worse before the plan."

"How am I supposed to calm down?!", Kurapika shrieked at the older man, his hands clutching the sheets tightly. One could notice that the dextrose pole and bag had been gone from the room and a small bandage was on the blond boy's arm.

"I told you, I promise not to hurt your friends", Kuroro replied softly, his dark eyes boring straight into bright blue ones with the warmth that Kurapika had never expected coming from a man with Kuroro Lucifer's status.

"You sent Hisoka to lure them here!", Kurapika exclaimed helplessly, almost in the verge of crying. "After what he said, they'll be rushing here like mad!"

"That IS the plan Kurapika", Kuroro replied, stiffling a laugh, he was rather amused at the hysterical reaction of the blond boy.

"YOU! I'll KILL YOU IF YOU EVER DARE LAY A FINGER ON ONE OF THEM!"

"My dear little Kuruta", Hisoka intervened this time. He had been standing at a corner of the room for quite some time, as if waiting for instructions from Kuroro. Well, it is to be expected, Kuroro is after all, his Danchou once again. "I did not say anything that might make them think that you're in danger. And I did not say anything hurtful too. Although, I quite doubt that part…", the magician giggled misteriously before continuing. "Oops!", he added with a sweet, soft, seductive AND equally disturbing voice. But the magician did put an effort to make it sound like a joke, so as not to distress his 'friend' and his 'Danchou'.

"What have you told them?!", Kurapika screeched at Hisoka's direction, glaring at a now normally-clad man rather than a clown-dressed psycho that he had known since the Hunter Exam.

"I just told them that Danchou is taking good care of you in the place where you first met", Hisoka spoke his voice laced with innocence, or feigned innocence, whichever that was, Kurapika will never know in this lifetime or the next. "That's not very troubling, is it?"

"The fact that it came from YOU, will give them the most dangerous ideas!", Kurapika barked angrily while still lying on his bed, his blazing red eyes looked ready to spit fire at Hisoka.

Hisoka smiled and chuckled mysteriously as he caught sight once again of those beautiful glowing rubies that this boy earned as an inheritance. He clucked his tongue and in a sickeningly sweet voice, he said, "Don't look at me with those lovely scarlet eyes of yours, Kurapika. You've not heard the whole plan yet." His words earned him a sideway glare from Kuroro Lucifer, but he does not mind that. Seeing the incredible reaction from the usually stoic dark-haired man and the red-eyed stare from the boy were worth a threatening glare any day.

Kurapika hissed at him venomously before continuing his glare to Kuroro's direction. "What is the entire plan then? I've warned you Kuroro Lucifer…"

Kuroro stared longingly at those blood-red pools which had triumphantly won over his heart effortlessly. But he shook his mind awake before he could even give the blond a clue on what is going on in his head. After all, it was him who told Shalnark that he does not want to declare the entire truth. He wanted everything to grow slowly into the people involved. And as for his Kuruta, well, there is no one as involved to this than him.

Kuroro rested his back on his chair before speaking again, "As I have told you, I ordered Hisoka to lure your friends here in York Shin, because it is what the healer told me. She said you'll get better if you'll have your friends around to tend to you."

"I… You... W-what?!", Kurapika stammered confused and angry. But his anger was slowly dissipating in the air as he felt the weight of Kuroro Lucifer's words.

"This is what the healer told me to do", Kuroro said casually, staring straight at Kurapika's eyes. He can feel Hisoka's usual eerie smirk behind him. "To keep you alive and to keep you with me, as I have promised you before you passed out after getting too angry at me in Ferinn, I will resort to anything. That 'anything' includes giving you some freedom to be able to spend some quality time with your three friends."

The Kuruta narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the dark-haired man. "What exactly are you up to?", he said in a low voice, as he slowly get up from bed.

Kuroro was about to remind Kurapika not to get up from bed but as he saw that the boy was still lying with his back over a pillow, he yielded. Instead, he smiled toothily at the boy, totally forgetting that Hisoka was just behind him. "Before I tell you the plan – which I can easily force you into, let's make a truce", he said.

"A t-truce?", Kurapika repeated.

"Kurapika, I really think that your fainting bouts had somehow taken a toll on your speech. You've been stammering all day", Kuroro joked.

"SHUT UP!"

At that point, Kuroro knew that Kurapika never really meant the yell. He was staring at the boy's eyes all along, and he noticed that although his eyes were still flaming red, there had been no dangerous glint in them when the youngster raised his voice. "So", Kuroro spoke still calm and composed. "Are you interested?"

"What will I get from that idea of yours anyway?", Kurapika snorted at him. "You can easily order me around and there will be no problem on your part. Making that truce is just a waste of time…"

"I'll offer you the freedom of your Zoldyck friend", Kuroro said, leaning forward to lessen the distance between their faces.

Kurapika's eyes widened at that statement and red flame in his eyes quickly died out to reveal serene blue ones – which Kuroro liked just as much as the red pair. "You'll what?", he said backing away as an instinct.

"It's either your speech or your hearing", Kuroro said with a light chuckle. "Anyway, after this plan we'll be heading straight to a doctor to have your senses checked."

"You'll let me free Killua from the Judgment Chain?", Kurapika tried to confirm, his eyes wide with disbelief – patiently ignoring Kuroro's joke.

"Yes and I'll also promise not to hurt them from now on", Kuroro added, totally winning the situation.

"What do you want in return?", Kurapika asked calmly, his eyes averting from being glued to Kuroro's and settled instead to the back of his hands on his lap.

"You will have to be one of us", Kuroro said with a smug grin.

"A SPIDER?!", Kurapika bellowed again, his eyes turning red in a second.

"Yes."

Hisoka whistled at the background but he was ignored by the pair who was now staring intensely at each other; the older one with triumph and the youngster with anger.

"Are you insane?", Kurapika said with a sigh. "I… I will not be one of you… I-I refuse."

"Kurapika", Kuroro spoke, the grin he wore turned predatory all of a sudden. "I can order you to be one of us this very instant and you cannot do anything about it, moreover, my dearest Kurapika, YOU will have nothing to get from it. Now, wouldn't it be nicer that I am offering you a chance to forever keep your friends out of this? After your Zoldyck friend is free, I do not have anything to blackmail you into rushing to my orders." As he spoke, he leaned closer until he is only a few inches away from the boy's ear. "This is the only chance I'm giving you Kurapika. Take it or leave it. And if you leave it, don't come begging to me when I order you to do hideous things you never even thought of."

Kurapika sat in silence for a few moments, terrified at Kuroro's warning. Of course, he will do anything to keep his friends safe. After all, they are the only ones left to him in this world now. He could never let them be in trouble again. But being a Spider is another thing. If this had been another situation, he will bravely declare to the devil, which he had known to be Kuroro Lucifer, that he would rather be skinned alive than be a member of the Genei Ryodan. However, like the devil told him, this may be or rather, IS, his only chance. And judging by Kuroro's words, he assumed that the man will soon be ordering him to do heinous crimes – freeing Killua from his Judgment Chain is just the only way that can assure him of his friend's safety. Because if Kuroro Lucifer really orders him to do something terrible while his friend is still pierced through the heart with his chain, then a moment's hesitation will cost him the Zoldyck boy's life.

"What are your conditions?", Kurapika finally said with a huge sigh, his voice quaking, as if holding back tears.

Kuroro blinked at that 'crack' upon the Kuruta's voice. He quickly stood up from his seat and faced the window to avoid losing control in the situation. Kuroro knew very well, that once his 'more emotional' side took over, he would not be able to corner the Kuruta into submission. He breathed deeply to clear his mind, his lungs and his throat before speaking. "You will be a member of the Genei Ryodan and I, as the leader, should still have full control of you. You will not escape from me and you will participate in every mission I would assign to you. Furthermore, I will be your partner in each of those assignments."

Kurapika closed his eyes as he heard the words. Judging by their current 'relationship', he figured out that it would not be too bad. The man had been doing his best to keep him alive and healthy. Although he was not worried about dying in his 'missions' as Kuroro made it a point – twice now, that the man would never let him die; a very weird thing to hear coming from his mortal enemy. Anyway, as was said, this might be his only chance. He cannot let it pass. At least, he might be able to get his friends out of this mess. After that, he can freely die…

"For those conditions, I will order you to remove your Judgment Chain from the Zoldyck boy's heart and I swear that after this agreement, I will never hurt your friends ever again. Also, as added incentive, during the breaks which I usually give to the other members after missions, I will allow you to visit your friends or resume taking orders as a Hunter – just like Shalnark."

For a moment Kurapika nearly stood up with surprise. He would have done so, if only his head had not been hurting the way it does right now. "You'll allow that?", Kurapika asked wide-eyed with shock.

Hisoka on the other hand looked as if he wanted Kuroro to repeat his words. The magician had stiffened on his position but remained silent.

"Given that you will come back to me", Kuroro said, still not facing him and keeping his voice as emotionless as possible so that the blond could not sense the smile in his face. "But if you break one of my conditions, I'll immediately hunt for your friends myself. You must know very well that killing them would not be a hard task to accomplish. Let's say that I'll go for the doctor first-"

"NO!", Kurapika snarled angrily at his direction before Kuroro even finished his plans for Leorio if ever the boy puts a toe out of the line. "YOU DEVIL! STAY AWAY FROM LEORIO!"

Hisoka smiled at the boy's outburst. It was quite rare to see the cool and composed Kurapika in such a barbaric upsurge of emotions that had his eyes glowing blood-red. What more, he finally knew why a man such as Kuroro Lucifer would be very interested at the boy; the Kuruta's eyes were very alluring indeed. And as he had expected, they were far more beautiful when glinting blood-red with anger than floating lifelessly within liquid preservatives in glass or crystal containers. Seeing those eyes like that, is a very rare chance, considering the fact that there is only one Kuruta left alive in this world.

During the Hunter Exam, he longed to take time to look straight to those flaming rubies and admire them when he heard the boy openly declaring that he is a Kuruta, but he never got the chance. The boy was too calm and it takes a lot of planned provocation to get his eyes red without getting him too hysterical or too dangerous to be left alive. Then, when he finally got the chance, as they were paired to a duel, he realized that he could not kill the boy just yet. He saw, during the fight when the boy was able to return one of his highly Nen-induced cards, that the young Kuruta has great potential. That gave the Kuruta the right to be called as one of his 'unripe fruits'. And as he dropped the bomb of that duel, he finally saw, with his very own eyes, the only proof of the rumors. The blond boy was indeed the last living Kuruta.

The boy's very amusing and highly enticing heritage, the young Kututa's potential as a future rival, along with his very own plans to challenge the Genei Ryodan leader, became the backbone of his plans in 'befriending' the boy, two years ago in here York Shin City. And now, he can say that Kurapika had improved a great deal in Nen, but he was still far from his peak. Furthermore, being this closely protected by Kuroro Lucifer, he knew that he would have to wait. The duel with Kuroro had ended up quite well that he wished for another round but right now, after seeing the two's antics when together, he decided to amuse himself first before he gets to serious business in a few years perhaps.

"I told you, I am not going to hurt any of them once you agree and as long as you keep up with our treaty", Kuroro said his smile still smug and quite wicked.

Kurapika hoped that he could say more but there was nothing else he could think of at the moment. His head was hurting so bad, he wished he did not have any, and his brain was slowly shutting down to get another few hours of sleep. "How can I be assured that you will keep your promise?", he finally managed.

"You have my word", Kuroro replied.

"Your words are not enough", Kurapika answered back. Amazingly, he did not yell.

"I'll be the witness then, right Danchou?", Hisoka said, earning him a blink from Kuroro – which was the man's stoic version of a jaw-drop, and another threatening glare from the boy.

"That's right Hisoka. You will be the witness", Kuroro finally said, or rather declared. He forced his facial muscles to remain as still as possible so as not to end up laughing his guts out.

Kurapika looked at him as if he had kissed the demented magician.

"ARE YOU CRAZY?!", Kurapika screeched again.

"I'm serious, Kurapika", Kuroro replied, closing his eyes. As a matter of fact, he closed his eyes to make it easier for him to concentrate on not laughing. After all, what kind of sane creature will make a person as 'unpredictable' – as there are no other words to describe it, as Hisoka to be a witness in an important treaty? "So is it a deal?", Kuroro asked, offering the boy his right hand to shake.

Kurapika looked through Kuroro's eyes as if piercing and examining the man's soul. Finally, he realized that Kuroro might be really serious and true to his word in this if he was desperate enough to make Hisoka the witness. He sighed and resigned to his fate. "It's a deal", he said, taking the offered hand and shaking it.

As the boy let go and surrendered to the drowning call of his own thoughts, Kuroro peered closer at his Kuruta to see what had been troubling the boy. He hated it when the boy tortures himself with such negative ideas and decided to pull 'his' Kurapika back to the present. "Kurapika?", he asked, as he bent down a little to face the boy.

As he expected, the boy stared back at him blankly in reply.

"You don't seem convinced about our deal", Kuroro stated. "What can I do to convince you? Is there anything more binding than my word and Hisoka's presence?"

And as expected, Kurapika just snorted at him before turning his back on him to lie down and go back to sleep.

Stepping back once as a safety measure if ever the boy throws something, he jokingly asked, "Shall we seal our agreement with a kiss then?"

Hisoka grinned widely at the statement as the boy rose up again.

"GO TO HELL!", the boy shrieked angrily at him.

As they entered the café, Killua immediately sat down on the nearest computer as Gon spoke to the lady in the counter. Leorio, on the other hand, grabbed an extra seat and sat behind Killua. In a few moments, Gon was also seated beside them and was looking determined to see why Killua was so angry about not being able to access the internet earlier.

"Killua?", Leorio started. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Checking my mail", Killua replied carelessly, stating the obvious. "Can't you see it?"

"No", Leorio answered as he gently shook his head. "I mean, how did you have those connections? The Hunter Site does not provide information like you've mentioned, unless…"

"Unless they're hacked", Killua finished for him. The boy was not even looking at the older man.

"Exactly!"

"So?"

"'So' what?! The Hunter Site has extremely complex security system. It is THE Hunter Site after all."

"Yeah. And your point is?"

Leorio decided that it is best not to try and shove the Zoldyck boy's head into the computer screen as what he would have done to his more 'normal' friends. He definitely cannot do that anyway. "You're not that geeky", he said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Killua smirked at the statement. "You finally got it. Congratulations old man!", he said, finally giving Leorio a quick glance.

"So, how do you knew about those?", Leorio asked again, he was leaning forward eagerly.

Gon, who was now taking a seat beside Leorio, enthusiastically piped up, "Yeah, Killua, I wanna know too!"

"Gon, remember my brother Milluki?", Killua said, an impish grin was slowly worming its way on his lips.

"The one you called when we were still figuring out what Greed Island was?", Gon asked for clarification, although he was pretty sure that he is correct.

"Yeah."

"You mean, the one you mentioned that rarely comes out of your estate?", Leorio asked after recalling a short conversation with Killua about this brother of his ages ago.

"Yeah."

"What about him?"

"He's the one helping me with this."

"I thought you're not in very good terms…", Gon said, a pout of confusion was on his face.

Killua gave them a short 'manic' kind of laugh before speaking again. "That can be easily taken cared of."

"You paid him?", Gon asked, recalling that Killua's brother had always asked for payment regarding such services.

"Sort of."

"Eh?"

"I taught him about something he will find to be forever useful."

"Like?"

Killua rolled his eyes to his oblivious companions. "NEN! Of course!"

"You taught him about Nen?!", Gon exclaimed. "But Killua! You're brother's a killer…"

"Nah", Killua cut him in a very carefree tone. "He's so much unlike me and Illumi, so you do not have to worry that he'll go running around killing people with his aura. And perhaps, Milluki is not that into physical activities. He might as well use Nen to improve his 'inventions'. Anyway, I did not really teach him, I just told him about it and suggested that he go ask around for Nen-Masters that are willing to teach for a price. "

"But still…"

"Gon, Milluki's hopeless with physical stuff. He'll just learn about the basics and get tired, probably even before he really learns about Nen. After all, he still did his half of the bargain."

"Which is?", Leorio asked.

"He'll give me information about Kurapika, Shalnark and Hisoka's Hunter Licenses for two weeks, which is due tomorrow morning", Killua stated, a smile still on his face.

Gon bit his lips and shifted in his seat. Killua noticed this and he sighed before he spoke. "Gon, do not worry about it, Milluki is learning it the longer way and not like how we did it so, he'll get tired in a few sessions. Actually, I'll bet he already mailed me about not being able to learn it as easily as I told him."

As Killua opened his E-mail account, he saw quite plainly that there were indeed two messages coming from his brother. The first one had been sent just a few hours ago, and the other was just a few minutes ago.

True enough, as they read the latter message, they were all relieved. It seems that Milluki is indeed getting too tired with the physical training of Nen and decided to drop it. But, since everything that Killua said had been true – as his Nen-Master explained that forcing the process like what Killua did is dangerous, he still opted to do his half of the deal. After all, he would not risk his gadgets and his 'toys' to be roasted on the spot by his little brother, would he?

Gon let out a small awkward smile, but it is still a smile, nonetheless, and Killua was pleased to see that there is no need to argue with his best friend about the matter anymore.

"You think that our time's just enough?", Leorio asked, his brows furrowed as he realized how short a day and a half is. "I mean, so you think we can find any three of them until your brother gets off our boat?"

"I don't really know but- OH!", Killua was about to confess his worry when he was cut short as he reads his brother's earlier message.

Gon and Leorio were alert at the next moment and they both read the message.

Gon was first to recover. "We need to go to his hotel then! Let's go!", he said loudly, standing up and heading to the exit but he was pulled back by the silver-haired boy.

"No, Gon… Wait", Killua said, his voice trailing off as if he was in deep thought.

Leorio too had his eyes cast down on the floor and his brows furrowed.

"What? It clearly says that Hisoka had checked in Kohr Hotel, let's go there…"

"If that's the case, then, why?", Leorio muttered under his breath.

"Guys?"

"Gon!", Killua's eyes brightened up. "I think I know where Hisoka might be! Pops, you get what I mean?"

Leorio's eyes widened for a moment with realization, "Yeah! Killua, let's clear the plan in the car."

Gon seemed to be confused for a moment but his face lighted up as he said, "Next stop, Kohr Hotel!"

"NO, Gon", Killua said as he hopped from his seat and left the computer to shut down. "We're going to The Grill."

"Huh?", Gon questioned loudly, as he halted on his way to the door. "But Hisoka resides at Kohr! It was clearly stated in the message…", he reasoned.

"That's right. But the clue was implied", Killua replied with a smug look on his face as he dropped a bill and waved a hand to the cashier as a gesture that he does not want a change anymore.

"How?", Gon inquired as they headed towards the car. He was quite disappointed with himself since Leorio was able to pick it up and he was not.

Leorio took the liberty to speak this time, "The message said that Hisoka checks in at Kohr every night, but he takes his lunch at The Grill. It means that he's meeting someone there. Right? I mean, Kohr had a great reputation for exquisite food here in York Shin. If he wanted to eat, why would Hisoka go to another place which is, as the message stated, about a few minutes ride?"

"That's where we're heading then? To see who he could be meeting?", Gon asked.

"Yes. And it's almost lunch", Killua said. "So it will be quite pointless to check him in Kohr since he usually returns by sundown. We might as well try our luck at The Grill since the record had been constant."

Gon gave them an 'awed' look before securing his seatbelt and letting his mind drift to the adventure that lies before them.

Kuroro Lucifer had always loved beautiful relics. His profession in being the leader of the most fearsome band of thieves had been the answer to that obsession. He had gone far and wide, looking for artifacts that may satisfy his ever-growing fascination for such. Right now, he knew that he will never have anything that will fascinate him more than what he already have – a living and responding artifact. Another masterpiece of nature; the last Kuruta.

He sighed and focused on the task at hand. For a few moments, he had been thinking of where to put the special package that he had asked to be delivered in a few minutes. He stared at the nearest painting on the wall, which was quite high and has a table just below it. The painting, the frame, the wall and the table look nice together, however, his package's color will clash rather violently against its cool blue shade and mahogany-brown accents.

His eyes shifted on another small table – this time it is round and light cream colored on a corner of the room. The chairs were also cream and he figured out that the package will look nice at it, however, it is too far off a corner that his audience might not notice it.

With another sigh, he searched for another spot and finally found it just beside his Kuruta. On Kurapika's bedside, was a small wooden table with clawed feet and a platform that was half a foot above its claws. On top of it were the books that Kuroro had read while he was watching over his Kuruta, an empty glass of water, and an empty cup of coffee over a saucer.

Kuroro sauntered to that spot and took the books from the table-top. Then, he carefully stacked them into a neat pile on the table's lower platform as he cleared off everything else on the table top. He took the items to the small round table on the farthest corner and decided that the small bedside table would be the perfect place since the colors were all right and sunlight will be directly on it. Not only would his Kuruta notice it first thing when he wakes up, but also, his friends would not miss it.

Just on cue, there had been a light knock on the door. Kuroro noiselessly walked towards it as he knew very well that it was what he had been expecting. Sure enough, it was a hotel staff, a boy about Kurapika's age and stature, with sandy hair, a lot of freckles, and watery green eyes.

"Mr. Lucifer?", the boy asked, his voice quite high and childish, as if he had not gone through puberty yet.

"I am Lucifer, indeed", Kuroro replied, giving the boy an amiable smile.

"There's a package", the boy said as he lifted up the vase of bright red tulips. "Here…"

"Thank you. You may go now", Kuroro answered as he took the vase in his arms and flashed another smile beofre he closed the door with the slightest kick.

Again, he noiselessly walked back to the bedside and carefully placed the vase on the table. He lingered his stare on the base of the simple yet elegant arrangement of dazzling red tulips before him. Just as he specified to the flower shop's owner, four-leaved clovers covered most of the brown earth that was left uncovered by the tulips in the three-inch tall vase, however, they are not visible amongst the red tulips if not looked at closely.

He smiled with satisfaction at the vase before shifting his gaze to the sleeping Kuruta.

"I hope you like flowers", he whispered to himself as he lingered the stare at the sleeping figure. After a while he swallowed a laugh. He realized how corny and so cliché he must have sounded if ever the Kuruta was able to hear him.

He imagined Shalnark choking at a juice carton once he heard what he had just said. Nobunaga, on the other hand, would be contemplating on performing hara-kiri. Anyway, he believes that all of his subjects will either brand him insane or shake him back to his senses if they had not figured out anything yet. Kurapika, on the other hand, will probably faint again. And Hisoka? Well, no one in this world has the capability to decipher his actions. He can only guess that the magician will be giggling as creepily as possible at a corner.

"And I also hope that you would get what I mean but be too bothered to speak about it", Kuroro silently added as he sat down beside the sleeping boy to wait for his awakening.

**AUTHOR'S NOTE (2):** I figured out that Milluki does know about Nen because if he does, he will not be questioning about how he could not access Greed Island back in the Anime and Manga. Furthermore, I also took note that having such a personality, Milluki would be greedy enough to want to learn about Nen but will be too lazy to train because of the rigorous physical activity it requires. XD. Also, I knew very well that he will be too scared to back out of a deal with Killua. So, I hope that clarified something. If you have any more questions about the matter or any other matters regarding this fanfic, feel free to **PM** me or state it in the **REVIEWS** section. Thank you!


	15. A Sudden Change of Hearts Part II

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **As the Kuruta's condition improved during the visit, Kuroro immediately ordered the boy's Judgment Chain to be lifted from Killua. Later, he explained to the blond that he had no more intentions of using the Zoldyck boy to force him into doing everything he wanted; rather, he made up a treaty for the two of them. Killua, on the other hand noticed something in the room that totally changed his mind in retrieving Kurapika.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** Weeee! I apologize for the long wait! LOL XD… There had been so many happenings right now and I was too stupid to let a loophole wide open! Argh! That's when I have to rewrite this entire chapter. To make up for it, I made it a bit longer. LOL, I'm really sorry. Anyway, I do hope that this chapter may satisfy you.

And to the reviewers, to dreamchaser, well, you really encouraged me. Thank you for being a reader! XD. To Florallover, you have been with me from the very start, thanks for that, I do hope that you continue to stick with this fic =). Elena, since you pointed out a scene, I included it again LOL. I am waiting for your next chapter in Hunters X Dares X Insanity. LOL. MARYLOVER, Hisoka's really good-looking AHAHAHA, that's all LOL. Angelica, thank you for your praise XD. To phppsmss, well I haven't forgotten about the dividers, FF must have changed their format a little. All of the dividers disappeared. Well, I'll put them back soon don't worry. And to Sunshinepooh, wow, thanks for calling this a masterpiece XD I am overwhelmed and was forced to write more. Thank you. =)

To Naura, this is the second part of the Chapter dedicated to you LOL. Thanks for everything, even the info! I hope you'll like it. XD

To Ate Rish, let me plug our conspiracy here. XD

To the other readers and reviewers, thank you! I hope you'll like this chapter. Off to the story! Enjoy!

**CHAPTER 14**

_**A Sudden Change of Hearts (Part II: The Voice of the Hidden Blooms)**_

"OK", Gon spoke encouragingly, his eyes shone with determination as he stood beside Killua and Leorio, both of them looking towards a two-storey building with fine glass windows. "So here's The Grill. It's still about an hour and a half before noon, where do we go to hide now?"

"Hmmm… Let me think", Killua replied, his hand dashing to his chin as he looked around for a suitable spot.

Gon, who was beside him started to scan the area also while Leorio stared back and forth at them, not even thinking of relying upon his instincts in being a predator. After all, he knew very well that the two younger boys were a lot more experienced with these kinds of things than him since after the Hunter Exam, he had rarely been in an adventure as he spent most of his time in Medical School. He was only able to be with them nowadays after he filed a Leave of Absence for a whole term in the Medical School because he wanted to get Kurapika back as soon as possible.

"Killua, Leorio", Gon started, tugging Leorio by the arm. "Look there!" he pointed at the topmost part of the building just beside The Grill. It is another restaurant, however, this one is only a single-storey but the rooftop was swarmed with black and white umbrellas making it another usable floor of the building. There were a lot of people there but there were still some unoccupied seats.

"That will be a good spot", Leorio commented, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked towards the spot. "Let's see if we may be able to observe everyone in The Grill from that place."

"Not bad", Killua muttered as he sauntered behind Leorio and Gon towards the building.

The three walked in normally to the said building which was named The Black Snack Shack. It looks like a nice, cozy old-fashioned brick building at first, but as the name says, it is a black painted snack house inside. However, even though the walls are the color of midnight, it was still bright as daylight in the inside. Up on the walls, every few feet, there are gold candle holders grouped in three, with electric lights disguised as candles. The tables look very much like oversized chess boards as they were checkered black and white while the chairs were black but painted with another coat of transparent paint and gleaming with glitters, making the room look brighter.

Amazingly, the small area inside the building was packed with a lot of people, most of them about Leorio's age. The two younger ones, Gon and Killua, raced like overexcited yet normal teenaged boys towards the rooftop which may be safely named as the second floor since people are eating there too. Leorio, on the other hand, followed slowly, sighing with exasperation as he called out helplessly from behind the two. He was about to remind them not to act like little kids when he realized that they were Gon and Killua – they 'normally' act like little kids.

Gon dashed towards his chosen spot – the part of the area which he had pointed to when they were still on the streets as Killua ran from behind him, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him downwards to the tiled floor. Then the white-haired boy hopped forward above him and rushed even faster, consequently reaching the table first.

"First!", Killua exclaimed triumphantly as soon as he touched the edge of the table.

Gon, who was now standing up and brushing off the dirt from his clothes, pouted before sauntering towards his best friend. "That's not fair!", he retorted. "You pulled me! Cheater!", Gon added, sticking his tongue out at Killua as he sat down and continued to pout.

Killua snickered at Gon for a moment before looking over his shoulder to check on The Grill.

"Can you see everyone inside?", Leorio asked, a few feet before them. He grabbed a nearby chair and plopped down on it beside Gon.

"Yeah", Killua replied, a grin crept to his face. "This is a good spot Gon."

Gon laughed proudly, "It's almost the same when I hunted Hisoka. I was positioned in this angle too. It keeps him within my line of sight but keeps me hidden at the same time."

"I'd choose the same spot years ago during a job", Killua said nonchalantly as a smug yet wicked grin remained on his face.

Leorio swallowed at that. He knew very well that Killua meant an assassination when he speaks like that. How could he keep on forgetting that this fourteen year old was a former professional killer?

"Old man", Killua called. He kept his eyes glued at The Grill as he placed a baseball cap over his head. He meant to cover his very distinct silver-hair from view because he was quite sure that even though they were in perfect Zetsu, once Hisoka takes notice of his very noticeable hair, their cover will be blown sky-high.

"Hmm?", Leorio replied blankly, as he was reading the Menu.

Killua immediately snatched the menu booklet from Leorio's hand and threw it to the other table. "You can look at that later!", he reprimanded.

"Hey! It's still one and a half hour before lunch", Leorio reasoned helplessly as he crossed his arms on his chest afterwards. "OK. What is it now, BRAT?"

"Listen carefully", Killua said a finger rose up to the air. "I've thought about this thing ages ago and I think it's about time to unravel the real plan."

"Oh", Leorio's eyes widened as he leaned closer expectantly towards Killua.

Killua was about to speak when a loud growling sound was heard from beside Leorio. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!", he eyed Gon dangerously.

Gon laughed nervously as he bashfully stratched the back of his head, "Eh… Can we have lunch first?"

"Lunch?" Killua nearly screamed in frustration. "But Gon, it's too early for lunch! What kind of stomach do you have?! You're much better controlling your hunger during less important times!"

Leorio promptly laughed – quite as nervously as Gon, as he straightened his tie.

"But… I'm hungry", Gon merely squeaked. "I don't really know… Maybe because I'm growing up. You're growing up too, how come you don't get hungry as much as I do?"

"My GOD! Gon, this is not the time to talk about hunger!"Killua massaged his temples forcefully. He was itching to reveal the plan and here goes Gon's stomach roaring with impatience – about a different matter. The veins in his hands were quite visible and his nails were already longer by half a centimeter. He sighed his anger away as he pooled every gram of patience that he had been gifted with, in his being. He took one look at Gon's big, brown, and pleading eyes and sighed as he yielded to his best friend's… 'need'.

"Fine…", Killua spoke, his voice almost cracking with annoyance. "Lunch… first."

* * *

Kuroro looked over the book he had been reading towards the figure in bed. The boy had shifted from his sleep and was now facing him. Kuroro decided to quit reading and amuse himself by looking at the sleeping Kuruta instead. However, he kept holding the book upright so that he may not be too obvious with what he had been doing in case the boy suddenly opens his eyes.

It was already noon and the bright sunlight that crept from the open window had successfully perfected the effect he was expecting from the tulips – they were now tinted in an almost glowing bright red. Also, it was not long when the heavens were finally cleared of clouds. This made the room a whole lot brighter that Kuroro had a hard time restraining himself from caressing the boy's now glowing hair. He figured out that after gaining some strength back from being unconscious for days, a single touch could easily wake up the Kuruta. And he also figured out that being caught having his hair touched in a very intimate manner will send the boy into a serious fit.

Sure enough, as he remained to his seat and contented himself on staring at the boy, the said boy was now wincing at the heat and light brought about by the harsh noonday sun. Seeing that, Kuroro closed his book and laid it beside the tulip vase as he stood up and to pull the curtains down. But as he was about the reach out for the curtains, a voice suddenly spoke almost inaudibly.

"No need for that."

Kuroro raised an eyebrow and tilted his head towards the Kuruta. The boy was now pulling himself into a sitting position while massaging his forehead.

"Does your head still hurt?", Kuroro asked, returning to his seat.

"A bit", Kurapika replied, his eyes remaining closed. "But it's a lot better than earlier."

"It's almost lunch, I'll get some food."

Kurapika simply huffed at the statement which Kuroro deciphered as his nonverbal version of 'Do as you wish.'

"Stay here", Kuroro added before leaving the room.

As soon as the door was closed Kurapika opened his eyes and slightly snarled at it before turning his attention towards an almost blinding display of red beside him.

"Tulips?", Kurapika asked himself. He continued to look at the vase full of bright red flowers which were almost gleaming with the day's sunlight. After a few moments of falling into the flowers' trance, Kurapika shook himself awake and remembered the time in Ferinn wherein Kuroro asked him of his favorite color. "You've got to be kidding me…", Kurapika muttered incredulously, his eyes widening towards the glow of the scarlet blooms.

After a few moments of hesitation, Kurapika decided to reach out for the nearest flower from the vase. But as he was about to pull it off, he saw something that caught his attention.

"What the-", he said as he decided to inch closer to the vase until he reached the edge of his bed. Careful not to lose his balance and fall to the floor, Kurapika craned over the vase to examine the flowers.

"What are you doing?", Kuroro suddenly asked as he stood at the Kuruta's bedside. It seemed that he had entered the room with a tray of food moments ago and was now curious of the boy's acts towards the tulips.

Kurapika nearly jumped from his position to cling to the ceiling with surprise. Fortunately, his awareness that he was on the edge of his bed and his knowledge of the possible comments from Kuroro had stiffened his muscles instead, keeping him from tumbling and rolling to the floor. However, those kinds of knowledge did not save his heartbeat from going faster than a racecar.

"Don't sneak behind me like that!", Kurapika yelled his right hand instinctively clutching his chest to calm himself down.

"Did I scare you?", Kuroro asked blankly.

The blond boy saw that the argument is ending with him losing, yet again, to Kuroro. So he simply rolled his eyes and sat quietly on his bed, trying to look anywhere but Kuroro.

"Do you like the flowers?"

"What?"

"I'm asking you Kurapika", Kuroro answered, his hands busy with serving the boy with food. "Do you like the flowers?"

Surprisingly, Kurapika's eyes shifted from the man towards the beautiful scarlet blooms on his bedside table to admire them. Absentmindedly, he spoke, "They're lovely." And almost immediately, he restrained the urge to slap his own face afterwards.

"It's a good thing that you like them", Kuroro replied as a small smile crept to his usually emotionless face.

"I never knew you'd be someone who would be sentimental enough to offer flowers", Kurapika said sarcastically to make up with the slip earlier.

Kuroro's smile grew wider. The snappy comment just proves that the Kuruta had regained some of his strength now. "Flowers make sick people feel better. I told you that you have to be well enough to execute the plan."

"And you have to pick tulips?"

"You said you like red. They're the only red blooms in the nearest shop."

"Right…"

Kuroro finally finished in piling up food on Kurapika's plate and was handing it over to the boy when he said, "Shalnark, you can always come through the door."

Shalnark, who was immediately blocking the light from a nearby window – the one beside the bathroom door, deftly slid towards the room with the usual huge smile on his face. "I just thought the window will be more accessible", he replied jovially. He was carrying a small, brown grocery paper bag on his chest which contained two sandwiches and a carton of orange juice.

Kurapika who had just received his plate of food from Kuroro was now staring back and forth at the newcomer and Kuroro. The look on his face clearly said, 'What's the meaning of this?' in big, bold, neon-colored letters.

"I asked him to help us out on our little plan, Kurapika", Kuroro answered the boy's questioning look. "It's only Shalnark so you don't have to be agitated."

Kurapika eyed the dark-haired man suspiciously before proceeding into eating his lunch.

"How did it go?", Kuroro asked, as he sat on his chair at Kurapika's bedside.

"As you said Danchou, I used my Hunter Card as frequently as I could here in York Shin, and just as you said, again, I noticed that the information had been carefully tracked from afar", Shalnark explained, his smile still plastered perfectly while walking towards a small table near the corner. There, he emptied the contents of his bag as he pulled a chair and sat on it. Immediately, he tore open the packaging of the first sandwich and took a huge bite from it.

"Do you think one of Kurapika's friends might be the tracker?", Kuroro asked turning his head towards Shalnark's direction. Kurapika, on the other hand, snapped his head up to glare a warning at Shalnark as he too, continued to listen.

Shalnark swallowed the food in his mouth before replying, "Not the ones we knew", he said, giving Kurapika one of his most friendly smiles and raising a sandwich to his direction to calm the boy down before the Kuruta decided to literally glare him to death. "We only knew five of his friends – those were the ones we used as hostages. One was the mustached poet named Bashou, another was the lady musician named Senritsu, then the more important three that we knew more about – the doctor – Leorio, the Zoldyck boy – Killua, and the youngest one who has the senses of a wild animal that Phinx nicknamed him 'Jungle-kid', Gon", he paused for a moment to drink some juice before resuming. "None of them proved to be that knowledgeable with such matters."

"Then there are others involved here?", Kuroro asked, his gaze falling to the Kuruta, who was still staring venomously at Shalnark.

Shalnark gave the other man a small mischievous laugh – which could have earned him a silent death threat from the blond boy had the youngster not heard of the entire statement, as he explained. "Not exactly, Danchou. The Zoldyck boy may have convinced his brother to do the tracking, you know, the one who has expertise in computers. He is the most possible suspect right now, unless another avenger – this time a computer geek, wanted to chase after us, which is, highly impossible at this moment."

"I see", Kuroro said in a half-whisper before continuing with his normal voice. "I guess it's now up to Hisoka. Taking everything into consideration, if someone really managed to track you down and he's not on Kurapika's side, then it's only up to Hisoka's words to lure them here."

"Judging by Hisoka's character and the effect he has towards people, they're probably here already", Shalnark replied scratching the back of his head before taking another bite off his sandwich.

Although he decided to remain silent, Kurapika could not help but agree with Shalnark.

"They had not used their Licenses yet?", Kuroro asked after a few moments to give Shalnark time to chew on his food.

"Nope", Shalnark said with a sigh and a shrug. "It seems that they realized that I could track them down if they used their Licenses. After all, they used the same method with me, so I expected them to be cautious while treading the same field. I check regularly, but the last time they used them was a week ago, when they suddenly checked out of a hotel."

"A week ago?", Kuroro asked, thinking deeply. "Hisoka delivered my message at about that time. It is possible then. They could be heading here already, at the very least."

Kurapika decided not to keep muted any longer. "What exactly are you planning anyway?!"

Kuroro, who had noticed the hostility from the Kuruta's voice decided to soothe the situation. "As we have agreed, I have no intention to hurt anyone of your friends Kurapika so you may calm down now. There's no need to raise your blood pressure again."

"And after they got here? What do you intend to do with them now, Kuroro Lucifer?"

Kuroro sighed as he realized that this is the only way to calm his Kuruta down. He cast a sideway glance at Shalnark who nodded in agreement before proceeding. "All right then. I guess it's about time to tell you some of the plan."

Kurapika quickly swallowed what he had been chewing and started to concentrate on Kuroro instead.

"After I sent Hisoka to tell them that we're here in York Shin, I also asked Shalnark to get here. Furthermore, I ordered both of them to make their way here in the most obvious way possible, but not too obvious for them to doubt its genuineness. That is to make a trail visible enough for your friends to follow", he paused for a moment to gesture Kurapika that he wanted the boy to continue upon his lunch.

Kurapika restrained a snarl and chewed reluctantly at a morsel of steak as he continued to stare – or rather glare, at Kuroro.

Shalnark, on the other hand, remained grinning at the two's antics. The demented magician is correct. The two look very entertaining together. He decided that it is better to remain quiet by now and focus on his food while amusing himself with the two.

"Then, I asked Hisoka to pick his favorite restaurant here in York Shin."

"You what?"

Kuroro ignored the reply and continued on his words. "I told him to look for a place where he would not get bored eating at aside from his Hotel so that he would make constant trips there at a determined time, which is, in our case, lunch. That is simply to lure your friends more easily into following Hisoka. Given Machi's reports, your friends – the two boys, have perfect Zetsu and were quite hard to track down. Even the doctor's Zetsu is imperceptible unless seriously searched for and that requires blowing any covers by releasing more aura than wise to search for his aura. If that is the case, then making Hisoka's location more obvious, with my methods, for them to follow will cut down time and energy in our part."

"And once they're here? What do you plan to do?"

"Once Hisoka successfully leads them here, I am a hundred percent sure that your friends would not be bursting through the door, windows, nor walls – according to Nobunaga. I'm sure that they'll plan into making their entrance. And that is why I need you to prepare."

"That did not clear anything Kuroro", Kurapika said after swallowing a mouthful of mixed vegetables. "Anyway, what am I to do then?"

"Act normal."

"Normal?"

"Yes", Kuroro replied, smiling the smile Kurapika hated the most. "If they value the Zoldyck's life, then they will not simply ask you to run away with them, would they? They will most probably just take you with them without your knowledge. Or to be more precise, they will just kidnap you."

Kurapika wanted to argue but he realized the logic. It was true that if this is for real, then Kuroro would be telling him all the time that he should not escape. If Killua wanted to keep his life, he would most definitely be planning for a secret attack – something that even him, Kurapika, would not be able to know about.

"Once I order you not to escape, they will sneak here, knock you unconscious and run off. Then they would look for a Nen-Sealer to seal off your Nen even before you wake up so that your chain would not be activated once you notice that you did escape from me. Finally, the four of you will be together again and you only need to re-learn your Nen to be able to protect your friends. Do you get my point Kurapika?"

Kurapika only nodded as realization finally hit him. "How will I act then?"

"As I told you, I do not want to lose you, whether it is by death nor by your friends. So I have to do something to keep you. Therefore, we should move so as to prevent your friends from executing their plan. So, you just have to act the way you do when you're with me and then act the way you usually act with your friends. I will not leave you alone when you're with them and you simply have to bear with my presence the way you usually do."

"At least I can still freely loathe you…", Kurapika snarled.

Kuroro had to force himself hard not to pull the Kuruta into his arms and shake him out of his hatred, but he knew very well that it would be useless. The rift that had developed between them due to his lust for the organic rubies six years ago had been too wide to disappear in a mere two weeks where most of the time, the boy had been unconscious to even notice anything. Furthermore, Shalnark is in the same room and currently drinking juice – his earlier imagination of him choking at the carton immediately kicked in his brain.

"What are you laughing at?", Kurapika snapped at Kuroro who was almost shaking with silent laughter.

"Nothing", Kuroro replied. "I was just imagining Shalnark choking on his juice carton."

With that, Shalnark really choked on his juice carton and spewed a mouthful of juice. "Danchou!", he exclaimed as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Kuroro grinned toothily at his subject and with great effort into trying not to break his ribs while holding back his laughter, he said, "Shalnark that was one of the few things that I can amuse myself with when no one is around. You should at least let me have that."

"I can't believe you…", Shalnark exclaimed further as he sank back to his seat to resume eating. In a few moments, his smile had returned as a wide impish grin. "I thought you were a lot more serious."

"I am, but I also need something to keep me human, don't I?"

Kurapika, who just had enough of the worthless talk between the two Spiders, spoke once again, his voice dead serious. "I could not understand how acting the way I should would keep my friends from taking me away."

"Simple", Kuroro replied, his gaze, which had immediately shifted to the Kuruta since the first word was spoken, was now boring straight into bright blue orbs. "They will clearly see that I have genuine intentions to keep you alive and well with me."

"I don't think that that can restrain them."

"Believe me it would", Kuroro said, leaning closer to the boy. Shalnark stiffened to his seat as he awaited what his Danchou must be doing next. "If it is not enough, then I just have to move into more drastic measures", he added with a mischievous glint in his dark eyes.

"You promised not to hurt them!"

"I did and I will do as I promised Kurapika", Kuroro answered. "I plan to stick to my part as long as you stick to yours kid. But…"

Hearing that conjunction, accompanied by that naughty look at Kuroro's face, Kurapika felt himself dreading the next few words.

"As part of the truce, you would still have to obey my orders as your Danchou of course."

Quite relieved that it was a lot less nasty than he expected, Kurapika inwardly sighed. "You may have the power to command me as you wish but don't even count on the thought that I will ever bow to you Kuroro Lucifer", Kurapika spoke between gritted teeth. "Never would I submit my soul to you."

"I do not require you anything but abide by our treaty so worry not. But as I was saying, there is one thing that you have to do if your friends still wanted to take you."

Kurapika shoved the last morsel of steak into his mouth before giving Kuroro a look that plainly said, 'What?'

A few moments of silence were allowed to pass as Kuroro thought deeply whether to reveal his thought or not. "Maybe I should not tell you right now eh?", Kuroro then said, grinning even wider at Kurapika. "It would look better when you have totally no idea about it."

Shalnark's eyes widened when he saw the look at Kuroro's face and heard the tone of his voice. After a moment, the smile that was usually in his face widened too. "Ah Danchou, I see…"

"It's a good thing that you understood what I meant Shalnark."

"I agree. It will look a lot better if Kurapika remains clueless."

"It's really nice to know that my future comrades are getting along well… But it does not make anything clearer!" Kurapika yelled at the two men.

"Trust me Kurapika, you don't even want to know", Shalnark said his eyes round with emphasis.

The Kuruta simply rolled his eyes before turning his gaze back at Kuroro who looked as if he would be laughing his meanest, most devilish kind of laugh anytime soon. With a sigh he said, "Fine… I never thought that the plan would be that simple."

"It's not the entire plan. We still have to wait for Hisoka's report after lunch so that we could plan our next moves more precisely", Kuroro said, snatching the empty plate from Kurapika's hand as he handed the boy another plate, this time smaller and filled with fruits and fruit slices. "Now, eat", he added with a very commanding tone.

Kurapika decided not to argue anymore as he can see that Kuroro had just ordered him to eat his dessert. "You're treating me like a kid…", he mumbled as he popped a small grape in his mouth and pouted.

Shalnark had to smile at that. It is true; Kuroro was treating the Kuruta as if he was a little kid. The way the man protectively looks after him as he sleeps, the manner Kuroro orders him around for his own good – those acts were almost paternal in nature. They were a little different but very much the same. It just happened that Kuroro was treating him as if he was his property more than anything else. Well, it cannot be helped. After all, Kuroro is a thief; it is his nature to be overly possessive with his 'belongings'.

Kuroro gently smiled at his Kuruta. It is official. He likes the way Kurapika pouts his lips. "You look cuter when you pout", he pointed out, as if he discovered something of great use to mankind.

It was so unexpected and so out of character that Kurapika was left with his mouth hanging open – the half-chewed grape falling out of it, and his right eye was twitching. He does not know what to think of now. Is he imagining things or had Kuroro just stated that he is cuter when he pouts? Finally, his brain decided that it will be better to simply blush in varying shades of red.

Shalnark, who had been watching the entire scene all along, gaped – open-mouthedly, with amazement. He had expected Kuroro to be throwing such playful statements towards the Kuruta as he had known that even though the man looked very emotionless, he was still quite childish at some points in time – especially when he is pleased with a mission or an 'artifact' – this time a live one. But Kurapika blushing? The fearsome, red-eyed avenger of the proud Kuruta tribe, blushing? The Chain-Assasin who killed two members of the most notorious group of bandits, Genei Ryodan, and bound its leader, the dreaded Kuroro Lucifer from using Nen for a couple of months, BLUSHING? It was too much information that Shalnark was sure that it was already the end of the world had Kuroro's phone not rang and kicked him back to his senses.

"Yes?", Kuroro said as soon as the phone was on his ear.

"They're here Danchou and they're watching me closely."

"Have you taken your lunch already?"

"Not yet."

"Good, continue with your lunch and come here as soon as you're done."

"OK."

"It's Hisoka?", Kurapika asked. It was clear now that the boy had already recovered from his 'embarrassment' earlier.

"Yes", Kuroro replied, still smiling. "Your friends have been sighted. It's now phase two of our plan."

"What am I going to do now, Danchou?", Shalnark asked, after dusting himself off of breadcrumbs and sipping the last of his juice. He then stuffed all of the empty packages back in the grocery bag and threw it in the trash bin near him.

"Go to Hisoka and sit with him for lunch, but since you have eaten already, just order dessert or anything that will give you enough reason to stay with him until you're sure that Kurapika's friends are convinced of your connection with Hisoka. Then go back here with him. With that, we can be sure that our guests would be following you", Kuroro instructed, his right hand was under his chin.

"Aye, aye captain!", Shalnark jokingly saluted his Danchou before turning his face towards Kurapika. "Don't worry Kurapika, I'll make sure that you're friends are OK." Then he grinned widely at Kuroro and Kurapika before hopping out of the window. With a final wave of his hand, he bade goodbye and disappeared from sight, only to reappear again as he hopped nimbly from building to building.

"Kurapika", Kuroro spoke after a few moments.

"Hmmm?", Kurapika replied as he chews on the last of his dessert.

"I need you to emit a small amount of aura later – like the one that led Hisoka to us in Ferinn."

"For what? I can barely control my Nen right now..."

"Once Shalnark and Hisoka made it here, your friends will be around. They will need some proof that you're here. We're just helping them out. Right now, the aura's too weak to be noticed. I need you to concentrate just a little bit more."

"It's either you really wanted me to feel better or you wanted to get over with your promise."

"Both actually", Kuroro said. "As much as I can, I want you to work for me without straining your mind too much as having the life of your friend end with a single act of disobedience is a lot more mentally tiring for you rather than anything else." He paused for a moment to look straight at Kurapika and to steal the empty plate on his lap before continuing, "Taking you away from those hindrances will not only make you feel better, it will also make you think clearer – which is crucial for every mission as one of the Genei Ryodan. At the same time, I want to make it clear to you that I'm not going to break my word."

"Why are you doing these things? Why do you even bother to do these things?", Kurapika asked, his eyes glimmering with curiosity and confusion.

Kuroro closed his eyes to break the contact. As he opened them again, a soft smile spread upon his lips while he turned his gaze away from the Kuruta to the vase of flowers.

"Have you heard of the language of flowers Kurapika?", Kuroro asked the boy, his eyes not leaving the bright red display of tulips beside him.

"Yes, I've read about that. Flowers are used to symbolize short messages like acceptance, rejections and declarations during old times. It was said to be not only classic and convenient, but also quite stylish and noble especially when bad news was to be presented", Kurapika replied matter of factly.

"And do you know what four-leaved clovers meant?"

"Of course", Kurapika replied confidently. "It was one of the most widely used among the messages symbolized by the flowers. Four-leaved clovers meant 'Good luck'."

"I see…", Kuroro replied. With that, he stood up and wheeled the tray out of the room as Kurapika followed him with his eyes. "Don't get up from bed Kurapika, I'll be back in a moment after a phonecall", the man ordered before disappearing from sight.

As soon as the door was closed, a smile, far gentler than was allowed for a man of his nature crept to his face. He left the tray on one side of the corridor before getting his phone from his pocket. "Men also speak of another version. Four-leaved clovers meant 'Be mine'…", he murmured to himself before dialing some numbers.

* * *

"There he is", Gon alerted them. He carefully averted his gaze from The Grill towards Leorio, who was seated beside him.

Killua smiled as he scooped his dessert with his spoon and took it to his mouth. "Leorio, we'll be needing your Nen here."

"I thought we're not going to fight?", Leorio reminded him, his spoon pointing towards the silver-haired boy in warning. "This is Hisoka we're talking about. We-"

"I did not say we will be fighting. I just said that we'll be needing your Nen", Killua said, cutting him off.

"OK. How?", Leorio asked with more interest now.

"You're the only one not using your Nen when Lucifer came into view", Killua replied.

"When we were kidnapped? Yeah…", Leorio said.

"And when you tried to move out of Zetsu, one of the Spiders knocked you out", the Zoldyck boy continued.

"Thank you for pointing out on how helpless I was back then!", Leorio snarled back at him with sarcasm.

"But that's a good thing right now."

"I was not able to do anything when they took him, how did that become a good thing?"

"Consider this your chance to strike back."

Gon, who was busy at keeping an eye out for Hisoka suddenly spoke, "Hisoka's moving!"

The two snapped out of their conversation to look at The Grill. Just as Gon said, the magician was moving.

"Is he heading out?", Leorio asked. The position of his legs made it clear that he is prepared to hop out of the building as soon as he gets affirmation.

"No, I don't think so", Killua replied, tightening the grip at the baseball cap covering his hair. "The Grill does not have any other doors except for the front door and that side door, which is still visible here. Maybe he's going to the bathroom."

There were a few moments of pause as Hisoka disappeared from their view. All three of them were hoping that the jester would be returning again or their plan would have to wait for yet another day.

"Had he taken his order yet?", Killua asked, his face turning towards Gon.

"Yeah, I saw him speak to the waiter… Look!", Gon replied lowering his voice as he exclaimed.

Leorio could not help but sigh in relief. "It's a good thing he returned."

Killua, who had just quitted from staring at Hisoka, simply scooped the last of his dessert to his mouth. "We still have at least fifteen minutes left to wait – that is until he finishes his food", he said nonchalantly.

"So what's my Nen for? No one's badly hurt and we're not going to fight, right?", Leorio asked again, raising his hand for a waiter to see.

"We'll follow Hisoka until he leads us to Kuroro Lucifer or Kurapika. If A, he leads us to Kuroro Lucifer, then we'll follow the Spiders' Head", he paused as he 'savored' the slight squeak of fear and disapproval from the young man. "If B, he leads us to Kurapika, then we just have to make sure that it's not a trap and talk to Hisoka so that we could take Kurapika away as peacefully as possible. And then if C, he takes us to nowhere, we just have to make sure that he's not working with the Genei Ryodan before asking him for help."

"We'll ask HISOKA for help?" Leorio exclaimed, clasping his hands over his mouth afterwards when he noticed that he could have blown their cover.

"He was the one who led us here in the first place so I guess he'll help us out in searching for Kurapika as well, right?", Killua replied ignoring the pretty loud statement from Leorio.

With a wide grin, Gon said, "And he's not that awful… I mean, he really helped us in Greed Island. Hisoka can be easily talked to, so I don't think it will be that bad."

"With the right motivation, yes", Leorio pointed out. "The question is, what kind of 'motivation' can we offer him to help us?"

"We could only hope to guess the answer to that", Killua said. "We'll only know once we start the negotiation with him."

"I really hope it does not boil down to that."

"Leorio…", Gon said with a sigh.

"We can continue on discussing how awful Hisoka is later OK?" Killua suddenly snapped at the two. "Right now, the plan is to keep Hisoka within our line of sight."

"Oh yeah, and my Nen?"

"Well, this is for D", Killua replied raising his fork as a pointer. "There is a chance that Hisoka might lead us to the two of them – Kurapika and Kuroro Lucifer. That is D. And that is when we'll be needing your Nen."

"I get it!", Gon piped out. "You'll use Leorio's aura as bait!"

"Exactly", Killua said, giving a congratulatory look towards Gon.

"Me! BAIT?!", Leorio exclaimed, almost standing up from his chair.

"Well, it's not what you think…", Killua replied, scratching the back of his head.

"I hope this plan of yours would not get me killed."

"But you are willing to risk your neck, aren't you old man?"

Leorio paused for a moment, his surprised eyes closing and reopening again with a more serious yet far gentler look. "Yes", he finally said.

"I thought so", the silver-haired boy said, grinning. "You just have to get near and pose a really threatening aura. You know how to do that, don't you?"

Leorio nodded in understanding.

"Great", Killua then paused to look back at Hisoka who is now dining with utmost grace at The Grill. He just had to raise his eyebrow at that before he decided to continue with their plan. "Your Nen is probably the only one that Kuroro Lucifer would not be able to recognize among the three of us. So it could be the safest to use as bait."

"You mean, since Lucifer could not recognize my Nen, he'll probably take off after me?", Leorio said.

"Yep."

"And then what?", Leorio asked relaxing back at his seat and mentally preparing himself for what to come.

"Gon and I will be around, still in Zetsu to listen to Lucifer and Kurapika."

"For what?"

"Well, we need to eavesdrop for a few while to know what orders Kuroro Lucifer will give to Kurapika once he sets off to chase you. Then we'll base our next actions to his order", Killua explained.

"Our actions?", Gon asked, looking confused. "I thought we'll be kidnapping Kurapika."

"Let me explain", Killua said, raising his hand to silence his friends. "If Kuroro Lucifer sets off after Leorio without another word, we can use that loophole to get Kurapika out without needing to seal his Nen. I mean, if Lucifer did not order him to stay put, then, he had not broken any rule and we do not have to bother about his Nen. But, if Lucifer tells him not to escape before he leaves for Leorio, then we just have to do as what was initially planned. Which means, we have to knock him off before taking him somewhere. Then I'll be heading for Leorio to get him out of his predicament while you continue on with Kurapika. We'll meet at a meeting point and then we'll get the hell out of this country."

"Agreed", Leorio and Gon chorused, both of them had their eyes shining with determination.

"Old man", Killua then said. "Don't piss Lucifer off too much. Just show some aggressiveness but don't you dare attack. Kurapika will kill me if you manage to get your head off your shoulders just because I told you to use yourself as bait."

"Heh!", Leorio said confidently. "Don't worry about me too much kiddo. I'll do fine by my own."

"I'm just warning you Pops. Kuroro Lucifer managed to survive an attack from my father and my grandfather. He does not have to do anything harder than flicking a finger before he sends you to kingdom come", Killua said smugly.

"The plan's just to show off and then race back to a meeting point, right? And perhaps, you'll meet me halfway to help me escape… Everything will be fine unless YOU screw up."

With that, Killua raised his head, "That will never happen old man", the Zoldyck heir said with a confident grin. He was about add something when Gon suddenly squealed.

"Hisoka's got company!"

"What?", Leorio blurted as he craned over the two teenagers to see if the statement was true. Sure enough, someone wearing a dark green short sleeved shirt and dark jeans was now walking towards Hisoka. He has light-brown hair and a very distinct cheerful smile.

"That's Shalnark!", Killua exclaimed, his eyes widening with surprise.

"If he's with Hisoka, we'll be in more trouble", Gon said between gritted teeth.

"Now we're sure that Hisoka's with the Spiders", Leorio said, half of him was relieved that the plan about talking to Hisoka to help them obtain Kurapika had been crossed out, while the other half was now a lot more terrified than ever.

"I haven't counted on that…", Killua muttered to himself while biting his lower lip.

Suddenly, Gon's sullen expression turned sunny. "Guys, why don't we just follow both of them?", he said, pointing his finger upwards and grinning as wide as physically possible. "If the Spiders are here, then the possibility of Kuroro Lucifer being here is higher. After all, he is their leader, right?"

"That's true, but the problem now is about the 'chasing' part", Killua replied, his worry was becoming more evident than usual. "If Shalnark is here then Kuroro Lucifer does not have to run after Leorio. He just have to order Shalnark to chase after him while he could stay with Kurapika. The plan is to keep him away from Kurapika long enough to give us the chance to steal Kurapika away…"

"Then we just have to wait until Shalnark is out of sight before we strike", Gon reasoned. "Come on Killua, it's too late to change plans now… Kurapika needs us!"

"All right", Killua replied sighing as he yielded to Gon's request.

"Wait, Kurapika will still recognize my Nen even though Kuroro can't", Leorio said, his face falling too as he saw the loophole.

"Yep", Killua replied. "He'll wake up and get agitated. But don't worry. Kurapika cared for us enough to keep his mouth shut about your Nen. He'll probably get too confused to notice anything else. I planned it that way to give me and Gon a bigger chance on getting unnoticed until we knock him unconscious."

"Oh… OK", Leorio finally said, his eyes now glued at Hisoka and his companion.

"Is everything clear to you now?", Killua asked his companions.

"Yes, except for one thing", the young man said. "Where's the meeting place?"

"I'll tell you when I come to meet you. Just keep running once the chase starts", Killua answered. "I'm trusting you to be fast enough to keep yourself alive for a whole five minutes. OK old man?"

"OK", Leorio answered back. It is true that he had never been this nervous in his entire life. Not even when they were hostages of the Spiders almost two months ago. Back then, he was nervous too, but the anger that was eating the entirety of his being as he was watched Kurapika struggle from the Nen threads had drowned everything else. But now that he was able to think clearly, he can see ahead of his actions a lot better. He can conclude that the image of Kuroro Lucifer's angry form following him with an overwhelming amount of Nen surrounding his body is not a very comforting one.

The three of them waited, quite anxiously, for about half an hour before their targets decided to get out of The Grill. It was noon when Hisoka and Shalnark moved out of the restaurant and people were only starting to pour out from business buildings to get lunch. As expected, the information from Milluki was correct. Hisoka usually takes his lunch a lot earlier than normal people and then leaves off to somewhere before checking back to his hotel late at night. All three of them assumed that given Hisoka's personality, the statement about him going home late is highly possible.

"Where could they be heading?", Gon asked as he followed Killua and Leorio, both had just jumped from the roof of a hotel to a roof of what seems to be a delapidated music store.

"I don't know, they seem to be heading towards the richer part of the city", Killua replied, his voice doubting his own words.

"Judging Kuroro Lucifer's antics, that guy does not seem to be the type to sleep just anywhere", Leorio mumbled to himself.

"That's not quite true. The Spiders act like filthy scavengers – they'll sleep anywhere provided that they can get their eyes closed", Killua said, hearing Leorio's earlier comment. "But yeah, with one look at Lucifer's style, it's expected that he'll be staying somewhere expensive."

"It's just weird…", Gon said while furrowing his brows.

With that, Killua and Leorio turned their heads towards the youngest boy with their eyes wide open.

"I mean, they're not being careful at all", Gon said.

"What do you mean?", Leorio asked as Killua continued forward his eyes focused on their targets which are walking on the streets without any care of their surroundings.

"Hisoka and that Shalnark are both strutting around not in their Zetsu mode right now", Killua said, a small devilish grin was present on his face.

"Yeah, as if they wanted us to follow", Gon said.

"KILLUA!", Gon suddenly screamed as he stopped on his tracks with a shocked expression on his face.

"Wha-?", Killua was about to reply but he was stopped by Gon's raised hand which he promptly answered with a raised eyebrow.

"Kurapika… He's near", Gon said.

With that, Leorio took a step backwards, faced Gon and with a determined look, he said, "Which direction can you sense him?"

"It's weak… He's weak", Gon spoke, his big, round eyes looking very worried. "We need to hurry."

Leorio does not need another word. He instantly headed faster and stealthier towards Hisoka and Shalnark that Killua and Gon actually had to trail behind and ask him to go slower.

"Pops, we'll get discovered if you go any faster!", Killua warned with a hushed voice as he evaded a stray cat that was frozen in its place like a statue – too shocked at the speeding figures.

"We have to hurry Killua. There's no time to tarry anymore. If Kurapika's weak, something terrible might have happened he could be-", Leorio spoke in one breath but Gon cut him short.

"NO. Kurapika's got to be OK. Killua let's go!", Gon said as he rose his pace to match Leorio's.

"Geez, don't you guys know the term calm down?", Killua just muttered behind them but he immediately yielded anyway.

* * *

"They're following us?", Shalnark asked, the usual grin pasted on his face.

"I hope so", Hisoka replied as he waited for the traffic light to turn red so that they could cross.

"Those three are really good in hiding their aura, don't you think?"

"Yes", Hisoka answered with that disturbing grin of his. "I expected the Zoldyck boy to be this good, of course. Gon, on the other hand, has impeccable hiding skills which I had witnessed back in the Hunter Exam. He had perfectly blended with his background that even though he did not know what Nen was yet, I really believed that his presence was of a wild animal."

"No doubt Phinx called him Jungle-Kid."

"No doubt I branded him as one of my unripe fruits…", Hisoka added, licking his lips.

Shalnark could not do anything but shiver inwardly at the sight. There had been no freaky fluctuation in Hisoka's aura but the look on his face is nothing short of scary. It was the same look that can send anyone – even someone as brave and as proud as the Kuruta avenger, thinking twice about to fight fairly if he values his 'dignity'. Fortunately, he managed to force quite a lopsided smile to hide his 'fears'.

"But it's the doctor that surprised me", Hisoka continued as he walked beside Shalnark among the many people crossing the street. "I don't think he even knew much about the theories of Nen the last time I saw him, but now, I could not even pinpoint him behind me, even though I am a hundred percent sure that he is merely twenty meters away at most."

"His Zetsu had matched the kids in an alerting pace."

"If he goes on like that, he'll be one of my unripe fruits too", Hisoka said along with a very creepy giggle.

"They've increased their pace", Shalnark stated as they turned east towards the direction of the hotel where Kuroro and Kurapika were staying.

"They must have been worried", Hisoka said, his eerie grin still in place. "Kurapika's weak Nen had started to become evident. Danchou must have told him to create the same trail."

"Same trail?", Shalnark asked, curious at the magician's words.

Hisoka had to frown for a moment as he noticed that he was not understood by his companion but he smiled again as he explained, "Back in Ferinn, it was Kurapika's weak aura that led me to him and Danchou. It's very much like this – a weak, almost unnoticeable trail that seems to beg for help."

"I see…", Shalnark mumbled. "How did you notice their anyway? I mean, the kids… they're barely perceptible."

"A Zoldyck's silver hair glows brightly with some bright noon sunshine", Hisoka said with a sing-song voice and a few clucks of his tongue.

Shalnark's smile grew wider at that before he stepped inside the hotel's lobby. "Let's see what they'll do now."

"Actually, I'm more interested at what Danchou wanted to do", Hisoka confessed as he followed the brown-haired man towards the reception area.

* * *

"They entered the hotel!", Gon alerted his companions as he was on the lead.

"Both of them?", Leorio asked.

"Yeah", Gon replied as he jumped from the roof of a four-storey edifice to land on the streets.

"Gon wait!", Killua called him back even before he could cross the street.

"Hmm?"

"Remember the plan", the silver-haired boy reminded him. "We're here to observe only. We'll move to the next phase as soon as we're sure that Kurapika's with them."

"But it's Kurapika's Nen. I'm sure of it", Gon said, his chocolate-brown eyes getting wider for emphasis.

"I know Gon But we have to be sure that he's not being controlled or something", Killua reasoned.

Gon and Leorio stopped on their tracks for a while to think about Killua's words. Finally, both of them yielded to the Zoldyck heir.

"What's the plan now?", Leorio asked, his face just shows how prepared he is for anything right now.

"Let's see if Kurapika's really in the building and if Kuroro Lucifer is with him. If that's the case, we'll wait until sundown", Killua instructed them.

"There will be no need for that", a voice said just a few steps away from them.

Leorio, who had been facing the two youngsters turned around to see who was speaking. He was so sure that he heard that voice before. True enough, as soon as he turned his neck towards the direction of the voice, he could not help but yell, with fear or anger or both. "YOU!"

Gon and Killua instantly tensed at their positions and posed for an attack. "What do you want?!", Killua, who had found his voice first, yelled at the man.

"Your help actually", the man replied, his stoic face and dark eyes boring at the young Zoldyck boy's own.

"Cut the crap, where's Kurapika, Lucifer?", Leorio bellowed, but he kept his Zetsu just in case.

"He's waiting for you in the hotel. I just came here to fetch you", Kuroro replied calmly before turning his back on them. "Follow me."

"DON'T YOU TURN YOUR B-", Leorio screamed but Killua intervened.

"Leorio, don't… I-I think he's saying the truth", Killua said, doubtful at first.

"How can you say that?! That bastard's not someone you can trust Killua!", Leorio argued as he pointed angrily at Kuroro who was still walking slowly towards the hotel and not minding their argument.

"You're right, but if he wanted to do us harm, he could just kill us right here", Killua answered, looking sideways at Gon who seemed to be taking in every possible angle of the situation. "What do you think Gon?"

"I agree with Killua", Gon said, staring straight at Leorio. "Kuroro Lucifer does not have a murderous aura today, unlike when we last met him. He's almost completely off-guard."

Leorio had to think deeply with this. He is so angry right now that he feels like wanting to rip someone's head off. Finally, he took one last look at Killua and Gon's bright pleading eyes before sighing loudly and saying, "All right, let's follow him…"

"Whatever happens, stay together", Killua whispered at the two of them, before sprinting towards Kuroro.

* * *

The four – Gon, Killua, Leorio and Kuroro, finally reached the floor in the hotel where Kurapika's Nen was coming from in a few minutes time and without much commotion. Gon managed to calm Leorio down while Killua decided that it will be better to simply watch and wait for Kuroro to move before they do. He realized that if everything that had happened was Kuroro's plan, then the man must have actually no evil intentions for the three of them or else, he would not have gone all the trouble of luring them in just to feel the presence of Kurapika's weak aura.

"Kurapika is waiting for you inside, I suggest that you relax first before going in", Kuroro spoke, his voice serious but not intense. "He might have the wrong idea if he senses that you're not very comfortable."

"I just want to ask something before anything else", Killua suddenly said as Kuroro stepped out of the elevator. "Why are you doing this, Lucifer?"

The man paused before smiling. Astonishingly, the younger boys thought that it was genuine. Leorio was still firm with his decision not to trust him though.

"Someone told me that you can make him feel better", Kuroro explained. "Something happened and he was left badly injured. His wounds were all right, however, it seems as if he had lost full control of himself. He had been unconscious for a week and his Nen was not working properly that it leaked while he's asleep. Right now, as you can see, he could not even conceal himself with Zetsu. I'm afraid that he'll stay like that unless he gets better and the healer tols me that only the three of you may be able to help."

The three, Gon, Killua and Leorio, were left flabbergasted by the statement that none of them was able to take another step. Finally, it was Gon who recovered from the shock first. "You mean", he started, eyes glowing with curiosity. "You mean, you're worried?"

"You can say that, kid", Kuroro said before patting Gon on the head as he lead them to Kurapika's room.

Kuroro was about to turn the doorknob when Leorio spoke, still agitated but a lot calmer this time, "Lucifer, how can we trust you that nothing bad will happen to us inside?"

"I gave my word to your friend that I will never hurt any of you again", Kuroro said. "Probably, this time, you knew me enough to be a man that keeps his promise."

Leorio merely grunted but stepped forth right behind Kuroro as Killua and Gon looked at each other as if they were preparing themselves for anything that might go wrong any second.

Kuroro paused for a moment to look at his Kuruta's friends. He must admit to himself that all three had a very determined and worried look on their faces. That kind of look made him wonder now on how strong the bond was between the Kuruta and his friends. But as soon as he turned the knob, and the three's faces changed from worried to excited upon the sight of the blond, he realized that maybe, no matter how far he takes Kurapika away from them, the four would always meet – and their bond would always get stronger.

"KURAPIKA!", the three chorused with excitement as they sprinted towards the groggy figure in bed.

Gon dashed forward first and was also the first one to 'attack' Kurapika on his bed.

"Gon!", Kurapika just exclaimed as the boy released him from an overly excited hug.

"Kurapika are you OK?", Killua then asked jokingly from behind Gon. "I thought Gon just killed you when he grabbed your neck."

"Killua!", Kurapika said as he acknowledged the presence of the silver-haired boy. "You're here too."

"How could I not be? We're a team remember?", Killua said with a toothy grin. "Old man's here also, but I guess he's just to shy to get near", he said jokingly as he pointed his thumb towards Leorio's figure a few feet behind them.

"Leorio?", Kurapika said as he craned over Gon's spiky mass of black hair to see the young man standing on that part of the room wearing his biggest grin as of date.

"Well, who do you expect?", Leorio said in almost a murmur as he walked closer slowly.

"I'm glad the three of you made it here", Kurapika exclaimed happily as the three stood beside him.

Kuroro on the other hand, decided to sit on the farthest corner possible. Then, he grabbed a book from a nearby shelf and started, or rather, pretended to read – all the time watching his Kuruta happily chatter with his friends.

It was almost half an hour later that Killua noticed something out of place in the room. His eyes instantly darted from object to object to look for that specific thing as he pretended to listen to Gon's excited narration on how the three of them coped up after the hostage scenario as if their kidnapper was not in the same room right now.

Finally, after a few moments he saw it, barely a feet from where he was seated – as Kuroro had offered them some chairs for their convenience earlier. He had to grab the edge of his seat as he saw it, and then after it was confirmed, a grin spread across his face and he knew that he just had to ask.

"Kurapika", he started, turning his gaze away from the object and looking straight at Kurapika. "These tulips look lovely."

Kuroro's head snapped up to attention at that very moment. He knew, that the initial plan was now working. He had to grip the book tighter as he listened carefully to the Zoldyck boy speak.

"Oh… yeah… Why?", Kurapika asked, curious on why Killua's attention would be diverted by something that had been very much standing out in the room since they came.

"Nothing, they really look great in this spot, don't you think?", the Zoldyck boy continued, still grinning. "Who placed it here?"

"It was Kuroro's idea… Why ask?", Kurapika said, his brows furrowing with confusion.

"Nothing… They just look very alive, that's all", Killua said nonchalantly as he scratched his silver hair.

"Ookaaaay…?", Kurapika merely said as he stretched before yawning.

"I think you need some rest", Kuroro suddenly said from his corner. Instantly, he was behind Leorio. "What do you think doctor?"

Leorio winced as he sensed the man's presence behind him. But he took one look at Kurapika's tired-looking eyes before sighing and he said, yielding to the decision that the Kuruta's health should always come first, "He's right. You need to rest now Kurapika."

"Great, we need to go too, don't we Gon?", Killua said as he winked at Gon.

"Huh? We don't have- OW!", Gon exclaimed as he felt the pain on his right foot. Killua just stepped on him, 'accidentally'.

"We NEED to go, DON'T WE, GON?", Killua said, widening his eyes for emphasis as he positioned his leg to kick on Gon's shin if he refuses.

"A-all right…", Gon finally yielded, knotting his eyebrows as he stood up. He was slowly and sadly walking away towards the door, wondering why would Killua be in such a hurry to get out when they had only found their friend when an idea came to his mind. "Mr. Lucifer!", he called.

Kuroro, who had been expecting this, smiled inwardly before responding, "Yes?"

"Can we go back tomorrow?", Gon asked politely, as if Kuroro Lucifer had never done them any harm – an action that Leorio took note of to reprimand the spiky-haired boy later.

"You should", Kuroro replied, his face was emotionless but Gon was happy to sense the smile behind it. "Kurapika's not well yet."

With that, Leorio really thought that something was not right and he glanced towards the smug look on Killua's face. Gon, on the other hand, just looked as innocently happy as he had always been.

As soon as they were out of the room, Killua immediately dashed towards the nearest exit, an action that raised thousands of questions in his companion's heads. He made sure that they were already out of earshot before he halted, and as soon as he did, Gon was the first to ask him.

"What's wrong Killua? We just found Kurapika, why would you want to cut off our conversation with him? Are you-", he asked continuously but Killua cut him short.

"He does not need any kind of saving from us anymore, Gon", Killua said a grin was spreading on his face.

"How can you say that?", Leorio asked, as his hunch was proven to be true. Something was out of place.

"Kurapika is safe with Kuroro Lucifer, we do not need to worry about him getting hurt or killed anymore."

"What?!", Leorio and Gon chorused, both were portraying their own version of shock.

"I'll explain to you later. We need to go now. Plans have been changed", Killua said smugly as he stretched his arms once they reached the outside. "Clovers…", he mumbled.

"Eh?", Gon said, not quite hearing the word.

"Nothing… let's go."

**AUTHOR'S NOTES (2):** Well, that's it for Chapter 14, AHAHA, Chapter 15 will be up in the next few weeks. XD. And, I just want to tell everyone to read the upcoming works of Reisha404. You'll see why. –wink–


	16. Retract and Retreat

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY:** Killua, sensing something else than Kuroro's will to make the Kuruta a Spider, was now convinced that their friend does not need any kind of looking after. However, the Spiders were now on their way and they wanted answers. Kuroro needed to act fast or he might raise hell inside the group. Good thing Hisoka was faster to offer his helping hand.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **YAY! Ahahaha… At last, I was able to update! XD. Yeah there had been A LOT OF HINDRANCES, but nevertheless, as I have promised, I will never put this story on hold. =)

To the usual reviewers, LALALA… Here we go! To **Runandra**, yes, it's so OOC but I can't help it XD LOL. Chapter 16 will answer your 'wonderings' though so watch out for it =). To **Naura**, oh well, I made Killua spill the beans on this chapter LOL XD. To ate **Kurapika Kuroro**, I swear I'll post either FWCE or RWTA soon under our 'conspiracy' XD. To **silinde-kun**, well, he doesn't know… he'll know soon but HE HE HE, knowing Kurapika, do you think he'll tell anyone? XD. To **Elena**!!! Hello! LOL, well, I hope this chapter won't disappoint you about Leorio being bait XD. To **dreamchaser**, you're soooo right XD. To **MARYLOVER**, HE HE… Killua's always like that, ne? To **gin**, who posted the longest review I have ever seen in my entire life, o.O I am REALLY humbled =). Well, since a lot of you people seem to like the white-clad man, I'll 'resurrect' him in the next few chapters… and even name him maybe, pretty soon. LOL. AND I'LL PUT THE ENTIRE FIGHT SCENE (since many wanted to 'witness' it). To **Florallover**, well, it had been two years after G.I. so I think I'll alter Killua's character a bit already. =). And last but not the least, to **kaerie04**, well… I promise to post AFTER Christmas or the entire Holidays after this one. OK? AHAHA, napakarami ko kasing pinagkakaabalahan sa mga oras na ito… Kaya pasensiya ka na at nahuhuli itong BALANCE. Pero, sana ayos lang at sana mabasa mo pa rin itong kabanata na ito =).

That should be it, so, I hope you'll enjoy this one!

**CHAPTER 15**

_**Retract and Retreat**_

"Danchou may be in trouble."

Those words kept on echoing in his mind for days now.

Almost a week now, since he had called for an unofficial meeting with the rest of the Genei Ryodan; minus their Danchou, Kuroro Lucifer, he had been endlessly bothered by the words that came out of the mouth of the member that was supposed to be the most innocent one amongst them; Shizuku.

"How can you say that?" he asked, quite angrily. After all, it was not their Danchou's personality to be in trouble. He can always look after his own life; with or without Nen.

"If he falls for the Kuruta, the boy can easily kill him," Shizuku reasoned, her gaze never lifted from the book she had been reading.

"DANCHOU WILL NEVER FALL FOR THAT BRAT!" Nobunaga yelled.

"I was just stating my opinion," Shizuku spoke calmly, before closing her book and looking at Nobunaga with those large, innocent eyes of hers.

It was Phinx's turn to give his opinion now as he saw that Shizuku had already quitted the staring contest and Nobunaga wanted more. "Hisoka's a liar, but Shalnark isn't. You can't deny it; even Franklin and Machi knew something's not right when Danchou stares at the boy," he said, shrugging as if it does not matter. "I told you sometime before, that the boy looks pretty enough to sway Danchou's 'heart'," the man with no eyebrows said as he made the action of putting quotation marks on the word 'heart', as if he was not sure if their Danchou had any.

Nobunaga opened his mouth for a moment and made a pretty good imitation of a goldfish by continuously opening and closing his mouth before he finally decided on his words, "I-I just can't believe it…" he said, his voice trailing off as he sat, or rather fell to a corner. "That brat just killed Paku and Ubo! Danchou knew that."

"I don't see why Danchou would not consider him just because of those," Machi finally said, tired of hearing the samurai sulk. "Knowing him, he might have thought of that fact as a qualification. With his abilities, Danchou might have already talked him into being one of us."

"I am never going to let that happen!" Nobunaga yelled stubbornly.

"It's not like we can do anything, anyway," Franklin shrugged. "Honestly, I don't really mind being with the kid as long as he vows to keep that chain of his to himself or to our missions."

"How dare you!" Nobunaga bellowed again, this time, he charged the huge man with his sword unsheathed. He just had enough of his comrades being so passive about the issue.

That small meeting remained stuck in his head, replaying itself like an old broken record in his mind's eye over and over again. He could never forget that scene, where his companions seem to turn their backs to him and to their Danchou. He should never let that happen. The Kuruta must not be a member of the Genei Ryodan.

"What's the matter?" a feminine but very curt voice asked from behind him.

"Machi," he replied, almost surprised that his daydreaming had led him to become inattentive with his surroundings. He was quite grateful though that it was Machi that had called to him and not any other avenger. His mind had been so deep in thought that he became completely off-guard for a few moments there. It would have been fatal if someone as strong as the Chain-Guy was the one to caught sight of him.

"You've been staring off to space for ages," Machi responded getting closer until she was standing a few faces behind the samurai who was seated comfortably at the edge of a cliff as if he was in deep meditation. "You did not even notice me here. I've been watching you for almost half an hour now."

"I'm busy," Nobunaga answered as he closed his eyes again to ponder deeply.

"With what?"

"Thinking…"

"Of the Chain Assassin?"

Nobunaga nodded once. He was quite angry at the mention of the Chain Assassin. It simply brought back memories of Ubogin and Pakunoda in his mind.

"You're really angry," Machi said, noticing the way the samurai scrunched up his face. "It was quite hard to believe, yes. And perhaps, Danchou had not confirmed it yet."

"You sound like Shalnark," he commented blankly. Machi always speaks straightforwardly and without any heed of the situation. She may be wise and sometimes even all-knowing but when it comes to displeasure, she always voices out her thoughts very frankly. It was quite different now that she opted to lighten up the mood by showing some optimism.

"There's nothing else we can do about it," Machi said as she heaved a silent sigh.

"You mean you'll simply allow that bastard to be one of us?"

"He was deemed qualified, Nobunaga," Machi reasoned. "And if Danchou says so, we have totally nothing to speak against it. Do you get my point?"

"Yes, but I cannot accept it."

"Personally, I wouldn't also. But if Danchou sa-"

"He should prove himself to me first if that's the case!" Nobunaga bellowed, this time he stood up, using his katana as a cane to support himself even though he can very much manage without it. "I can't believe that you'll turn your back against me too, Machi."

"I am still with you, and that is not the case. Nobunaga, you must understand that Danchou is never wrong about these things."

"How do you feel about it then?"

Machi paused for a while but continued once she found the most appropriate words, "Well, as much as I do not like the boy in our group, I still do not feel anything bad that might happen to us. I mean, I have a hunch that this may even turn out for the better."

"Maybe yes, for the group," Nobunaga said, huffing as he clutched his katana tighter. "But for me, I don't think I can live with that brat."

"I have a huge feeling that you'll get along well."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Nobunaga exclaimed angrily, nearly reaching Ubogin's vocal prowess.

"I'm serious!" Machi screamed back as soon as she had removed her hands from her ears. "I told this to you before and I'm repeating it. It is not impossible that Danchou may be attracted to the Kuruta. Even Shalnark was positive. If that's the case we have no choice."

"I'll ki-"

"Danchou would never allow you," Machi said, cutting him off. "He's too protective with his treasures. And with that, you should consider the Kuruta as one of his possessions if he wanted the boy in our group."

Nobunaga snorted with anger as he walked past Machi. "If he will be staying with us, he has to defeat me first," he muttered angrily as he disappeared towards the woods, leaving Machi sighing as he trailed behind him.

"Where are you going?" Machi asked as she silently followed her comrade.

"To Danchou, where else?"

"But why?"

"If that brat is with him, I have to make sure nothing bad happens to him," Nobunaga replied, gritting his teeth. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked, as he increased his speed.

"Following you," Machi replied. "If you're going there then I have to make sure that you're not going to do anything stupid." She sighed once again before fishing her phone from her pocket. "I'm going to tell the others."

"Now speak up Killua!" Leorio ordered as he removed the newspaper covering his face after his nap. "Why are you smiling so smugly earlier?"

"Oh! Hey old man!" Killua replied as he sauntered towards the couch where the man was seated.

"There's no innocent little Gon here for you to be secretive of," Leorio said, looking quite stern as he sat up to give Killua some space to sit beside him. "If there's something that you did not want to say in front of him, then you can most probably say it in front of me."

"I feared to speak about this to you more than anyone else as a matter of fact," Killua said with a sigh as he collapsed on the couch.

"What is it about Kurapika anyway that you cannot talk about in front of Gon?" Leorio asked as he carefully scrutinized the cunning silver-haired boy beside him. "And what do you mean about that?"

"Well," Killua paused, searching for the correct words. "Well, I think I know what's currently going on between Kuroro Lucifer and Kurapika."

With those words, Leorio could not help but swallow and tighten his hold on the newspaper.

"And," Killua paused again to swallow and smirk impishly before he continued, looking quite like a cat that Leorio imagined him already to be spouting cat's ears. "I think I know now what Hisoka really meant when he helped us."

"What do you mean? You really got what that psycho wanted to say?" Leorio spoke, quite faster than normal and his jaw was left open for a few more moments afterwards.

Killua nodded before he sank deeper into the couch, looking at Leorio with a stare that plainly says 'Get out of this couch.' Of course, not wanting any broken bones or bruises, Leorio promptly crawled out of the couch towards the nearest armchair.

"Well, old man," Killua finally said as he lounged comfortably on the couch. "You see-"

Killua was about to say something when he was cut off by Gon's voice. "I think Mr. Lucifer likes Kurapika," the boy practically spoke out of nowhere.

Leorio could not help but fall off of his seat. "Lucifer what?!" he screamed as soon as he hit the floor.

"Mr. Lucifer likes Kurapika, doesn't he Killua?" Gon asked innocently, his eyes shining with purity and sincerity of his words.

"What the hell are you doing here anyway? You're supposed to be taking a nap!" Killua bellowed as once again, his perfect moment of saying something 'important' had been ruined by Gon.

"I can't sleep because I was thinking about it," Gon honestly replied.

"What 'it'?" Leorio asked, crawling to return to his seat after being so unceremoniously thrown off by his own shock.

"'It!' You know…" Gon said, sounding exasperated now as he flailed his arms to make an emphasis. "That Mr. Lucifer likes Kurapika."

"If that's true then he would have let Kurapika go with us," Leorio pointed out quite confidently.

Killua clucked his tongue with the statement. "Tch Tch Tch… Kuroro Lucifer is not someone who simply lets go of his properties old man."

"Aunt Mito told me that some people hated to see their loved ones go," Gon explained, his eyes trailing to the distance as he smiled with the sweet memories he had with his aunt. "I thought that maybe, Mr. Lucifer is that kind of person."

Leorio wanted deeply to talk Gon about acting way too kindly to people who have done evil things, but now is not the time. He simply wanted clarification about this serious 'matter'.

"What do you think Killua?" Gon asked his best friend who was now getting over with being interrupted.

Killua gave a sideway glance to Leorio who seemed to be in very deep thought, before replying, "I think so too."

"That's… that's…" Leorio stammered as he straightened himself and tried to reason up. His mind was too cloudy for anything right now. Hearing something like the revelation from Gon is quite… disturbing.

"Mr. Lucifer would never do much for Kurapika if he does not care enough," Gon said, almost shrugging.

"That man can easily put up an act," Killua said. "But, this time, I'm pretty sure that he's sincere."

Leorio, who knew very well that the two boys knew something he did not, decided to test them, "So, what were you saying earlier about Hisoka, eh Killua?"

"You really want to hear it?" Killua asked, smirking.

"Would I ask if I don't?"

"I thought you're Kurapika's best friend," Killua responded.

Gon looked at the two of them with wide curious eyes. Killua's response seemed not to make any sense and the way Leorio deviated from the flow of their earlier conversation was something to be taken noted of too.

"Well, obviously, I AM his best friend," Leorio answered back. "Among the three of us, that is."

"Then, he would have told you something about him and Hisoka, didn't he?" Killua said, grinning impishly as he scooted to give Gon a space to sit on the couch which the black-haired boy happily took.

"He didn't…" Leorio said with a sigh.

"I figured that out," the silver-haired boy said. "As I have told you, Kurapika's too secretive that it took me a great deal of time planning our little adventure. But it seems that all of it had been wasted since Lucifer came strutting to the scene to make everything easier."

"What's you point then?" Leorio asked.

"Well, Hisoka is obviously working for the Genei Ryodan, if he is not one of them already," Killua replied. "The way he and that Shalnark guy led us to the hotel was too much of a give-away. Actually, I may say that even before I started planning, Kuroro Lucifer had already taken a few steps onward to look for us, or rather, to lead us here."

Gon and Leorio both nodded with comprehension as he continued, "When Hisoka came to me, I can bet that it was all Lucifer's plan. He wanted us to be here and he sent Hisoka to us because he knew that if we would not take Hisoka's word seriously, we'll at least want to check it out simply because Hisoka is the one that said it."

"You mean that Mr. Lucifer used that fact to lure us?" Gon asked.

"Exactly."

"I still don't get it!" Leorio commented scratching his head violently.

"Don't bother your tiny brain too much, old man," Killua teased.

"Why you…"

"Kuroro Lucifer had been worried about Kurapika's medical condition. Surely Leorio, since you're the doctor here, you would have sensed his weakness," the Zoldyck heir explained. "It seems that Lucifer was serious when he mentioned that he wanted Kurapika to get better or else, like Gon said, he would not have bothered to work with Hisoka to lead us all the way here in York Shin."

"Do you really believe that he likes Kurapika?" Leorio asked, standing up from the armchair now to put more emphasis on his words. "I don't even think that devil is capable of liking someone! I mean, Killua, do you really know what you're talking about?"

"Of course I know what I'm talking about," Killua said, huffing. "Are you blind Leorio?"

"What?!"

"Did you see the flowers?"

Leorio opened his mouth with confusion, "Flowers?"

"Yes, the flowers. Did you see them?"

"The tulips?" Gon was the first to answer. "Those beside Kurapika?"

"Of course I did! Those things are so red not to get noticed!" Leorio exclaimed.

"Did you see the clovers then?"

"What clovers?"

Killua's grin just got wider, "Do you know what red tulips mean, Leorio? Or what four-leafed clovers mean?"

This time, Leorio was stopped short. He may be branded as the most 'romantic' one among the four of them, as he was the most 'well-versed' in the ways of love… But he never really cared about what flowers meant simply because he knew that flowers are just meant to be given; no more no less. Whatever a flower meant a few centuries ago can be disregarded as long as the flower to be given can be considered pretty by the recipient's eyes. He never cared about what the flower has to say; it is just way too old-fashioned for his liking.

"The tulips, no… But everyone knows that clovers mean 'good luck', well, the four-leafed ones do," Leorio replied.

"I thought so," Killua said smugly. "Well, old man, red tulips are used often during the ancient times as a declaration of love. And clovers also mean something rather 'romantically possessive'."

With that, Leorio paled as Gon nodded enthusiastically, muttering that his dear aunt had mentioned about some meanings of flowers ages ago since she was fond of them.

Leorio wished to get up and shake himself awake from this nightmare. "Y-you can't be s-serious…"

"I am serious," Killua replied although he was still grinning like a cat that just swallowed a canary. "Jealous?"

"Wh-what? Me? Jealous?!" Leorio stammered.

Gon's eyes widened even more as he gasped. "Leorio!"

"I'M NOT JEALOUS!" Leorio screamed, before storming out grumpily.

Killua, who just found the older man's reaction quite amusing, whistled. "Denial stage… He'll get over this quickly, don't you think?"

"What do you mean Killua?" Gon asked quite innocently.

"It's much better that he's still in-denial about his feelings," Killua asserted. "It will be a lot easier to recover and get on with his life this way."

"Without Kurapika?"

"Yep," Killua replied. "Because I don't think Kurapika's boyfriend wanted us snooping around their little moments. I'm pretty sure that once Kurapika's a lot better, Kuroro Lucifer will be planning to dispatch us off to another corner of this planet just so he can hog Kurapika all to himself."

"I don't see why he won't do that," Gon said. "But I can't think of this as a bad thing either."

"Me too," Killua replied. "I don't know why, but I'm trusting Hisoka's word on this."

"Hisoka's word?"

"Oh I haven't told you yet," Killua suddenly remembered.

"Told me what?"

"Well, Hisoka told me that Kurapika's the one in control now."

"WHAT?!" Gon screamed with surprise as he clasped his hands towards his mouth.

"Yeah," the silver-haired boy said nodding once. "That's how I felt that very moment too…"

"Does this mean that Mr. Lucifer's not only serious, but he's DEAD serious about Kurapika?!"

"Well, if Hisoka's telling the truth then, that's probably it."

"We do not have to worry about Kurapika then, do we?" Gon asked, his brown eyes shining not with worry but with relief.

"I guess so," Killua replied as he felt he ought to. "I don't think Kuroro Lucifer will be getting tired of taking care of our friend for us anytime soon, anyway."

There was a few moments of pause, both teenagers drifting off to their own thoughts. Neither of them thinking about the blond, but rather, both had wished to take a peek about the near future that awaits them.

"What do you think about this Gon?" Killua asked as he was the first one to get back to reality.

The spiky-haired boy decided to contemplate for a few moments before answering, "I don't feel anything bad about this, to be honest."

"Sure?"

"Do you?"

"Nope…"

"I don't know why, but Mr. Lucifer seems trustworthy enough for me when it comes to Kurapika."

"Leorio will smack our heads when he hears about this."

"Hmmm…"

"Hmmm what?"

"Leorio will get over this quickly, I think… Don't you Killua?"

"I hope."

"He'll need our help."

"Right. I'll find him a date."

"Nice one!" Gon finally said, laughing.

Killua smiled. Gon's real laughs had been rare the past weeks, ever since Kurapika had been taken away. But now, since their troubles seem to have past; when it comes into worrying for the blond Kuruta, it seems like the old laughter-loving Gon had finally returned.

It had been a long and dreamless sleep. A peaceful one, as a matter of fact, compared to those he always seem to have ever since the Spiders had captured him. He had not been tired. Kuroro never let him off the bed for more than a few minutes since he had gained consciousness and his friends had barely lasted for half an hour chatting with him.

He opened his eyes slowly to see how long he must have slept when Kuroro's voice broke the silence of the room.

"You're awake?" the man asked, his voice full of concern and doubt.

"Nearly…" Kurapika replied as he searched for the owner of the voice.

"Are you hungry?"

"Uh… I don't really know…"

Kuroro raised an eyebrow to that. "Is that even possible?"

"Well, what time is it?" Kurapika asked. "If it's already dinner time then…"

"It's 3:00 A.M. already, if that's what you want to know."

"Three?!"

"Relax Kurapika," Kuroro hushed him as the man pushed his chest gently back on the bed. "You'll wake the other sleeping inhabitants of this hotel with your voice."

"What are you doing staying awake?!" Kurapika questioned as he lowered his voice.

"Looking after you, of course," Kuroro replied flatly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not dying…" Kurapika retorted weakly, feeling quite guilty that he had kept the man awake. "You can get back to sleep…"

"Worried?"

"You'll get sick pretty soon too…"

"I won't," Kuroro said, smiling. "Do you want to eat? I'll find food for you."

"There's no need," Kurapika replied. "I just want to go to the bathroom."

"OK."

Kurapika then slid off the blanket that was covering him and stepped off the bed to walk towards the bathroom. But just as he had barely taken a step forward, he most unfortunately stepped on the end of his blanket and slipped.

"You should be a lot more careful by your own Kurapika," Kuroro said as held the frail figure against himself to keep the other from falling down.

"I can walk by myself! Get off me!" the younger one screeched, pushing the raven-haired man away from him.

Kuroro raised an eyebrow. He had been expecting a rude and fiery behavior from his Kuruta, yes, but it still stings somehow. "You can kill yourself accidentally just by getting out of bed. I do not want that," he said as he tightened his grip a little on the boy's small frame, his face and voice switching from stoic to teasing. "And since you seemed to be quite capable of doing that, I am afraid that I have to take matters to my own hands."

"What do you mean by THAT!?" Kurapika exclaimed as the man lifted him off his feet and carried him off towards the door of the bathroom.

Kuroro looked amused at the situation, however, he decided not to push things any further. He carefully dropped the Kuruta back to his feet and ordered quite flatly, "Do not take too long Kurapika. You have three minutes."

"I'm not going to take a bath! I'll just-"

"Danchou!" a familiar masculine voice exclaimed just a few feet away from them.

Kurapika rolled his eyes but took the chance to get off the argument anyway. He pulled the bathroom door as soon as he got hold of its knob and stepped in, with more care now, inside; leaving Kuroro behind with the seemingly agitated Shalnark.

"Shalnark, what brings you here at this time?" Kuroro asked, walking away from the bathroom door and towards the window where Shalnark was perched not very unlike a tired and battered bird after a long journey towards the nesting grounds.

"D-Danchou!" Shalnark said again, panting. He clutched his chest tightly as if it may help him normalize his breath.

Kuroro finally came into realization at what might drive the young brown-haired man to him like a terrified mouse at such a wee hour of the night. "Where are they?" he asked, his carefree look evaporating into thin air as he invisibly pulled up his old Danchou-persona.

"Onboard a-an airship…" Shalnark replied, still panting, but a bit less now.

"How long will it take for them to arrive?"

"Four hours."

Kuroro paused for a few moments to think, giving enough time for Shalnark to get his breath back to normal. "Where is Hisoka?" he finally asked.

"He has gone to take Kurapika's friends here."

"Good."

"Why would Hisoka do that?" Kurapika asked, looking a bit worried as he stepped out of the bathroom. "What's happening?"

"It's nothing Kurapika…" Shalnark started as he finally stepped inside the room. He straightened himself and forced a smile to his face.

"You can't make me believe anything that you're saying when you're smiling that way Shalnark," Kurapika said, his bright blue eyes piercing, scrutinizing Shalnark's soul.

"The rest of the Spiders are heading this way," Kuroro answered for the brown-haired man who seemed to be eager to bury or stuff himself anywhere just to escape from the Kuruta's stare.

"What? But I haven't taken my Judgment Chain off Killua's heart yet!" Kurapika said, paling slightly because of the situation.

"That's why Hisoka went to fetch them," Kuroro said. "I should thank him a lot for that quick thinking."

"Will he make it on time?" Kurapika asked. "How much time do we have anyway?"

"Four hours," Shalnark replied. "It's more than enough, don't worry." The man smiled reassuringly, carefully patting the blond boy's back. Kurapika, on the other hand, looks as if he's about to have a breakdown again.

"Kurapika, you should calm yourself down," Kuroro said as me motioned Kurapika to get back to bed. "You barely have enough strength to keep yourself standing. I suggest you rest some more and cease from worrying right now so that you may have enough to fuel your Nen later."

Kurapika stared at him openmouthedly with surprise.

"That is, if you want to free your friend from your chains," Kuroro said flatly.

"What the-" Gon snapped awake as Killua's knee met his nose. "Killua!" he screeched as he nearly fell from the edge of the bed.

"Hnnn…" Killua mumbled as he rolled towards the other side.

"Having trouble sleeping?" a seductive, sickeningly sweet voice filled the room.

Killua jolted from his sleep to consciousness as if he was showered with ice cold water. His eyes instantly adjusted to the dark and widened as he took in the appearance of a now ordinarily-clad magician. Gon, on the other hand had already jumped off of bed and posed defensively before the man; instinctively covering his vulnnerable, half-awake best friend.

"Hisoka…" Gon muttered.

That was enough for the Zoldyck heir. His senses finally left dreamland to dwell on the conscious world. He also jumped off from bed and took his stand beside Gon.

"What do you need?" Gon asked calmly although both Hisoka and Killua noticed the sudden aggression in his aura.

"What's happeni- WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" Leorio bellowed as he came rushing to the scene with only his underpants on. Gon's aura had woken him up, and since Hisoka had suddenly stopped using Zetsu after Gon woke, he instantly noticed the unfamiliar aura in their suite. That is when he decided to barge in.

"There is no need for any hostility, boys," Hisoka said, clucking his teeth and waving a forefinger in front of them, all the time, wearing an amused and slightly disturbing smile.

"I'm asking you, what do you need?" Gon said again, putting more emphasis and weight to his words.

Hisoka seemed to be enjoying the situation. He crossed his arms and leaned himself on the wall. "Well, let me put it this way. You have less than four hours to forever free yourself from your pretty Kuruta's chains," he said giggling. "If you wish to get out of that tight situation of yours then you will follow me. But if you want to keep that really nasty souvenir, then you can forget about this."

"What do you mean?" Killua asked, quite eager to hear more now that there's a way to get the cursed thing out of his chest. He clutched his chest, just where his heart is and felt for the serene yet amazingly strong aura that surrounds it.

"I'll tell you if you'll come with me," Hisoka said in a very teasing voice.

Killua looked at Gon who seemed to be just as surprised and as hopeful as he is.

"How can we trust you?" Leorio asked. He looked amazingly brave even though he was only wearing his underpants. He must have forgotten about it.

"Let's just say that I am simply following orders," Hisoka replied.

"Mr. Lucifer sent you?" Gon asked, his aggressiveness seemed to have evaporated completely.

"You can put it that way," Hisoka answered, pouting for a moment as if to think of what to say.

The three friends exchanged glances before the eldest, Leorio, nodded and spoke, "We're coming. Just… give us a few seconds to prepare." Immediately, he disappeared from view to grab something from the closet to wear.

"I think you look perfectly fine," Hisoka replied, raising his eyebrow seductively.

"THAT'S NOT A FUNNY JOKE!" Leorio bellowed from the other side of the room.

Gon and Killua snickered at each other as both of them simply grabbed some shirts and pulled them over their sleeping gear since the shorts both of them had been wearing on their sleep were both thick and still clean enough to be worn outside.

"We're leaving Leorio, hurry up!" Killua called as he finished tying his shoes.

"In a sec!" Leorio replied.

"Are they still in the same hotel?" Gon asked, quite politely, as if this is not Hisoka he is talking to.

"I hope so," Hisoka answered, shrugging. "If not, then we'll just have to find them. We still have three hours and a half."

"I thought Lucifer sent you," Leorio snapped, emerging to the room wearing a white button-up shirt and dark trousers.

"It's not exactly like that, but it doesn't matter. We have to go now. I'm sure Danchou will be glad to explain everything else to you when we get there," Hisoka said as he stepped towards the window.

Killua stepped out first, being the one closest to the magician. Then both Gon and Leorio followed him the next moment. Soon, they were leaping and running over roofs and buildings.

"We have to rush," Hisoka usddenly said after a few moments of silence. "Doctor, I hope you can still keep up…"

"Are you kidding?" Leorio angrily snapped from behind. The demented jester had been getting on his nerves ever since he came. Although the magician was quite right about him having a bit of trouble keeping up at their current pace, he can be sure that he may still be able to trail them successfully even after speeding up a few more notches.

"OK then," Hisoka simply muttered as he nearly disappeared in front of them because of a sudden burst of speed.

"Hey, wait!" Killua called from behind. "Gon, let's go! You too old man, hurry!" he ordered as he too increased his pace.

Gon simply nodded and followed suit as Leorio gulped and decided to give it all he got.

"They're almost here," Shalnark informed cheerfully as he stuffed his phone carefully back in his pocket. "Hisoka said that they'll be here in ten minutes

Kurapika sighed with relief. His hands unconsciously tightened on the sheets.

"What's bothering you?" Kuroro asked.

"Nothing," Kurapika said rather flatly. "I hope I have recovered enough."

"What exactly do you do when you retract your Judgment Chain?" Kuroro inquired quite childishly. "I've always wondered about that since I paid a Nen-Remover to get mine off."

"Well," Kurapika started, furrowing his brows and crossing his arms. "Technically, I just have to be able materialize my chains and pull it out since I am its creator."

"That's it?" Shalnark, who was now listening carefully to the conversation, asked.

Kurapika nodded.

"Good," Kuroro suddenly commented. "Now, all we need is your Zoldyck-friend and we can get on with the deal even before the others know about it."

'My ancestors could be rising up their graves by now to stop me…' Kurapika thought wildly. 'Who would have thought that the last member of the Kuruta will be submitting himself as a member of his clan's murderers?'

After a few more minutes which were chosen to remain in silence, there was a sudden gust of wind, followed by a wild array of four different auras. The next moment, all three people inside the room found four individuals – two youngsters and two adults, in front of them.

"Hisoka," Kuroro was the first to comment. "I am thanking you for understanding my will even though I have not mentioned it yet," he said, acknowledging the magician's efforts.

"It's nothing Danchou," Hisoka replied as he smiled and giggled eerily before sauntering towards a corner to play with his cards while watching everything else.

"Old man, are you OK?" Killua asked the man who stood beside him. Unfortunately, the said man had already collapsed on the floor, panting heavily. "Eh, I think that's too much for him…" the silver-haired boy muttered.

"Mr. Lucifer, what's happening?" Gon asked, feeling the urge to know the situation first.

Kuroro Lucifer sighed and sat down on the chair beside the Kuruta. "The other Spiders are heading this way already," he started. "We only have slightly more than three hours before they land here in York Shin and find us."

Gon and Killua nodded with understanding, both of them peering on the blond behind the speaking man, who looks sad, worried and tensed.

"Escaping is not an option," Kuroro said. "They are my men and they must have wanted a word with me."

"Hisoka said that you'll be taking Kurapika's chain off," Killua said, wanting to keep this encounter short if the Spiders are heading their way. "Why would you want that? Isn't it easier for you to control him if I remain to be a hostage?"

Amazingly, Kuroro smiled warmly at the boy's words. "That is because I made a deal with your friend," he said, ruffling the blond's hair with his hand, consequently earning a loud 'Hey!' and a glare from the Kuruta.

Shalnark, Gon and Killua found that to be overly out of character but ignored the act nevertheless.

"A-and what k-kind of deal was th-that?" Leorio, who was now clinging on the nearest chair for support, asked. He was still having a hard time controlling his breathing.

"I told him that I will let him free the Zoldyck boy from his Judgment Chain if he will be a Spider in return," Kuroro answered nonchalantly.

"What?!" Gon and Killua both shrieked as Leorio fainted on the spot, both of shock and fatigue. However, he was left unnoticed.

"You can't do that!" Gon said, his aura was becoming aggressive again.

Shalnark, who was standing just beside them, opted to remain still, although there was still a huge grin on his face. Hisoka had told him about the details of the deal already.

"Well, there is no need to get aggressive my boy," Kuroro said, waving his hand as if to calm Gon down. "I am giving Kurapika full freedom during our breaks or the times where we have no missions, so he can still go and visit you every once in a while. Also, I am still letting him use his privileges as a Hunter and therefore, I have allowed him to take Hunter duties and job-offers, given that all of them would be over before the next mission."

"You did that?!" Gon exclaimed again, this time, his aggressive aura had died down and a huge childish grin was worming its way on his face. "Really? Kurapika can still visit us?"

"As long as he comes back as a Spider, I will allow him, of course," Kuroro replied, closing his eyes to keep his stoic façade intact.

Killua inwardly sighed with relief. He had been right about the fact that a man like Kuroro Lucifer would be doing something to keep his 'property' safely in his hands. He also counted that they might not see Kurapika again for a long time but he had been wrong about that so he just have to be thankful that at least, Gon and Leorio would not be so gloomy about it now.

"Kuroro, may I take the Judgment Chain off now?" Kurapika said, sighing. He fears that the Spiders might be bursting through the doors any moment soon and he wanted to get his friends to safety before that.

Kuroro paused for a moment to scrutinize the blond's condition. After checking the way the boy's aura surrounds him calmly, the man finally decided, "Of course."

Kurapika nodded and stared towards his silver-haired friend. Killua, understanding what the look meant, walked towards him. "I hope this wouldn't hurt," he jokingly said as he grinned with encouragement for the Kuruta.

Kurapika smiled back at him before warning him, "It wouldn't but I think it will feel a bit weird."

Kuroro and Gon watched closely, even Shalnark and Hisoka looked interested, as Kurapika silently summoned his chains on his right hand. There were a few serene clinking sounds as the links materialized from thin air, glowing with aura. Kurapika closed his eyes as he called a few more links until chains apeared from Killua's chest to connect with those on his hand.

With Gyo, all four members of the audience watched attentively as the Kuruta's aura glowed alluringly crimson against the darkness of the room since Kuroro decided not to turn the lights on anymore. In a few more moments, the tranquil flow of aura went faster, more violent. Kurapika's eyes blinked open and bright red orbs illuminated his countenance and that of everything and everyone near him.

The next second, with a quick and fluid motion of his right arm, he pulled off his chains from his friend's chest and Killua dropped on the floor; his eyes wide and his complexion white with shock.

"Killua!" Gon exclaimed worriedly as he rushed to shake his best friend back to consciousness.

"Don't worry, Gon," Kurapika said, smiling kindly towards the spiky-haired boy. "He'll be fine. He's just a bit shocked."

"You just pulled a blade off his chest-. No, let me rephrase that. You just pulled a shiny, pointy blade off his heart without anaesthesia," Shalnark commented, looking slightly amused. "What do you expect?"

Kurapika who was very sure that Shalnark had seen far worse and gruesome things than what he did was left gaping. But he still felt the need to 'defend' himself, "It's just a Nen-blade, it's not really a corporeal blade." He rolled his eyes afterwards. "It's the Nen that shocked him."

"Whatever," Shalnark replied raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "'Still looks creepy to me…"

"…GOD!" Killua exclaimed as he clutched his chest to feel the absence of aura that surrounds his heart.

"Killua! Are you OK?" Gon asked, looking a bit worried.

"Y-yeah, I think…" the Zoldyck heir replied.

"Do you need water?" Kuroro asked, much to everyone's surprise, except Gon and Hisoka.

"I think he does, thanks," Gon said as he helped Killua to sit on a nearby chair.

"OK, wait here," Kuroro said, standing up to get the drink.

"You're free now," Kurapika suddenly spoke, smiling. "I'm glad that at least I'll be sure that all three of you will be fine."

Gon and Killua smiled in return. Then Killua spoke, his mischievous attitude returning, "You don't have to worry about yourself too Kurapika. Gon and I believe that you'll be perfectly OK too."

Kurapika raised an eyebrow to the statement but it was shaken off his mind by Kuroro's return.

"Here," the dark-haired man said, handing Killua a glass of water.

Killua nodded his thanks before emptying the glass in one long gulp.

There was a few moments of silence before Killua finally decided to leave.

"Gon, wake Pops up… we should be leaving York Shin now," he said, mindful of the time since they only have two and three quarters of an hour to be out of sight.

"Oh… OK," Gon replied, giving Kurapika a long, sad look.

"Don't worry, Mr. Lucifer will give our numbers to him, won't you?" Killua said, giving a knowing smirk towards Kuroro.

"Yes, of course," Kuroro replied, smiling in return. "It was part of the deal that Kurapika may have some sort of communication with you."

Both Kurapika and Shalnark blinked and thought, 'Was it?'

"It's a good thing we did not end using Leorio as bait," Killua commented as he helped Gon carry the man. "We could have failed and getting ourselves killed."

"What bait?" Kurapika asked, looking quite suspicious about his friend's words. "What are you thinking making Leorio act as bait?"

"Nothing, nothing!" Killua instantly denied. "We're leaving now Kurapika. Keep in touch!"

"Right…" Kurapika said, still suspicious but nevertheless, he was glad that his friends are finally 'relatively' safe… for now. "I will. Take care. And Gon…"

"Hmm?"

"If you can't restrain him from eating too much sweets, make sure Killua brushes his teeth before bed." Kurapika stated. "And remind Leorio to wash his dirty laundry once a week. He always forgets that…"

"Sure…" Killua replied for Gon. "We'll remember that, MOM! Bye!"

"What?!" Kurapika exclaimed. "How dare y-"

"Bye Kurapika!" Gon added as Killua pulled him and Leorio out of the window and out of sight.

"Mom?" Shalnark said, looking smugly. "Getting all too motherly now eh, Kurapika?"

Kurapika glared a warning at Shalnark, "Don't make me want to crack that head of yours Shalnark."

Shalnark, who took one look of the boy's creepy red eyes, raised his hands as a gesture of defeat. "It's a joke Kurapika… a joke," he said rather apologetically since the warning was almost ready to be executed; judging by the amount of aura present. He then smiled as amiably as possible, slightly fearing that the blond boy will hold grudges. "You're not angry, are you?"

"If you keep this 'joke' of yours to yourself, then you can forget about my warning…"

"Good, 'coz I wanted to keep my brain intact for a while longer…"

Kuroro inwardly smiled at the sight. It is quite assuring to know that at least one of his subjects is getting along well with Kurapika. He shifted his gaze slightly to a corner where Hisoka silently sits, shuffling his cards to make yet another castle. He instantly thought of what Hisoka will do once the rest of the Spiders got there… in approximately two hours. Will the jester stand with him as another vote to keep the blond? Or will he remain neutral as usual? Kuroro strongly felt the urge to know that he finally decided to break his and the magician's silence since Shalnark and Kurapika seemed to be getting along well discussing about the numbers of Kurapika's friends.

"Hisoka," Kuroro started. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What is it Danchou?" Hisoka asked. The cards he had been holding was nowhere in sight.

"Outside," Kuroro replied as he walked towards the window, which had been the only way to enter and exit the room for 'not-very-normal' people.

"OK," Hisoka said, following him.

As soon as both men had gone, Kurapika spoke, "Where are they going?"

"Beats me…"

"Do you think we ought to know?"

"Nah… If Danchou meant something about the others, he would have told it here. It must be something personal."

"Right," Kurapika replied. He just finished writing down the numbers of his friends, as was obtained by Shalnark through research and passed to him just now. "I think I'll go back to sleep… it's still two hours before the others arrive."

"Yeah I think you should," Shalnark said.

"You'll go follow them?"

"Nope. Danchou did not say it, but I think he left me here to look after you."

"Oh. OK…" Kurapika said as he covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes.

'I wonder what Danchou wanted to say…' Shalnark thought as he looked towards the dancing curtains of the open window.


	17. The Purest Arachnid

**BALANCE**

_**The Collision of Light and Dark**_

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY:** The Spiders could not help but relent to Nobunaga's wish to meet with their leader. As they reached their destination, most of them already expected something happening deep down in their leader's heart. However, they did not expect Kuroro to be so straightforward in his words. In short, Kurapika was formally introduced to the whole gang as the newest brigadier. All hell broke loose afterwards.

**WARNINGS: **This story happens in an Alternate Universe. Please do not expect it to happen in the original Anime/Manga. Please be warned that this fic may, or rather WILL, contain Yaoi/Shounen Ai stuff... This is my FIRST ever, multi-chaptered piece of writing; expect a LOT of OOCness and errors.

**CHAPTER 16**

_**The Purest Arachnid**_

The wind blows silently beneath the rather thick clouds that occasionally block the radiance of the golden moon. It seems to be another ordinary night; the city was still restless and the hours of the night seemed to flow carelessly as the people that walked the streets go in and out from building to building. Truly, York Shin City never sleeps.

On top of one very unsuspicious tower, two very powerful individuals stood just a few meters apart. Incredibly, there seem to be no tension at all. Everything is normal, except for the fact that these two had been standing on the edge of York Shin's tallest tower without any sign of fear.

One of the two figures can be heard whistling with the wee-hour breeze while the other seemed to be amusing himself by staring his obsidian eyes on the beauty of the night's celestial guardian.

After a few more moments, the raven-haired man finally decided to end his musings and spoke, "Hisoka…"

"Yes, Danchou?" the other man replied, instantly ceasing his whistling and turning his head along with his full attention to his companion.

"As a Spider," the dark-haired man started, his eyes still on the radiant moon. "Do you think we should keep Kurapika?"

"Do I think YOU should keep Kurapika?" Hisoka rephrased. "I never thought that Kuroro Lucifer would ask his subject about something like this."

Kuroro paused for a moment to immerse himself in his thoughts. "Do you think I should keep him then?"

"You wanted to, don't you, Danchou?"

"I believe that he would be a great addition to us," Kuroro answered.

"Why wouldn't he be?" Hisoka said, focusing his eyes on the moon too. "The boy is strong and wise. He is independent and quite obedient when need be. Furthermore, he gives you something you never had before, doesn't he, Danchou?"

Kuroro cut off his gaze from the moon towards his companion who was now smiling creepily to the unsuspecting Goddess of the Night. "He's the one that keeps you human; your strength and your weakness." The rusty-haired jester suddenly stared straight towards Kuroro. "If I were you, I'll keep him as close to me as possible."

"Don't you think you knew too much, Hisoka?"

At that, Hisoka started to chuckle lightly. "No," he said. "I don't know as much as you do, Danchou. Most humans learn by observation."

After hearing his companion's rather philosophical response, Kuroro resumed his gaze on the moon before asking another question. "Later…" he began. "When the others come, would you vote to keep him, or not?"

"You're the Head, you decide," Hisoka replied. "The arms and legs only follow as the Head orders."

"I see," Kuroro said, smiling. "Thank you for your time, Hisoka."

"It's nothing, Danchou. I am growing quite fond of watching the two of you."

"You knew too much."

Hisoka smiled before replying. "I'll fight you again when I get tired of watching you… maybe in a couple of years…"

"I figured that out."

"In the meantime, maybe I should help you with one of my fruits," Hisoka said. "He still has a long way to go."

"You still wanted him?"

"Not as much as the Freecs-boy, but yes, he's still an excellent candidate."

"After you have killed me first."

"That's quite a condition, Danchou," Hisoka spoke, pouting for a moment before grinning quite mischievously. "But I think I do not want the boy dead."

With that, Kuroro's expressionless eyes turned dead serious as a small amount of aura whipped around him, as if to warn the jester.

"He's a Kuruta; an excellent specimen," Hisoka said. "I'd rather keep him to myself…"

The vicious aura then grew suddenly stronger and more aggressive. "I'm warning you…"

Hisoka's smile then morphed into a friendly one. "You should not die then... Or else, no one would be protecting your pretty Kuruta for you…"

Kuroro's aura died out into tranquility as he sighed and murmured, "… I know."

There was a slight pause as the wind suddenly grew stronger; blowing away the clouds that had been keeping the moon from releasing all of her radiance. In a few moments, an airship flew overhead, blocking it from view.

"We should head back now, Danchou."

Kuroro nodded once before hopping off from the top of the tower onto the rooftop of the nearest building.

'_Maybe, it wouldn't be too bad to have him around._'

* * *

"Here."

"Wha-"

"You haven't eaten since yesterday morning," a firm and quite gruff female voice stated. "Eat. You might need your strength."

The man who was sitting just across the woman grunted before relenting; stabbing the meat with more force than necessary.

"Is everyone coming?" the man asked after swallowing a mouthful of half-chewed food.

"I think so."

"I thought you contacted them?"

"I did," the woman replied hastily, raising her eyebrows quite authoritatively. "But it doesn't mean that they'll really rush in to the scene. You should have known that."

The man simply huffed before digging back to his food.

"Feitan and Phinx gave their word to get the hell out of that stupid game for a moment, so we can count on them. Shizuku and Franklin are already on their way along with Coltopi. Bonorenof happened to be somewhere near York Shin while Shalnark is already there. I'm a hundred percent sure that Danchou wouldn't even think of escaping with the kid," the woman said, sipping a glass of brightly colored punch nonchalantly. "Everyone would be there."

"Shalnark could have told Danchou already, Machi," the man said, gritting his teeth harder than needed to chew the meat. "I could never understand whose side that smart-ass is on!"

"It doesn't matter anyway, Nobunaga," Machi replied. "Danchou would never leave York Shin now that he knew we're heading there. If he does, he'll lose."

"Lose?"

"You'll see."

Nobunaga huffed again before finishing his meal. "Actually, I could not wait to see him."

"The Kuruta?"

"I wonder what Danchou will do when I ask for Genei Ryodan justice."

'_If you do that... you'll lose._'

"Are you saying anything?" Nobunaga asked as he noticed Machi staring off to the distance.

"No..."

"Let's get back to business then," Nobunaga said. "I want this done before sunrise."

* * *

"Danchou!" Shalnark blurted as he stood up from his seat as if to greet the dark-haired man who managed to land soundlessly beside him from the open window. "I received a call."

"Machi?" Kuroro asked, or rather spoke as although the statement was meant to be a question, he was so sure of the response that he did not even care to put the right intonation.

"Nope, Coltopi."

"Coltopi…" Kuroro muttered.

Shalnark heard it and smiled, "We can trust him on this one. He's with us."

"Good."

"Where are they?"

"They'll land in half an hour," Shalnark answered, looking quite uncertain of something. "Uh, Danchou?"

Kuroro did not answer but rather, he took a chair from the nearby chair and sat beside the sleeping Kuruta's bed. He then looked back at Shalnark to show the other that he was listening.

"Should we wake Kurapika now?" Shalnark asked. "I mean, it would be a shock for him if he opens his eyes surrounded by eleven Spiders – seven of them possibly hostile."

Kuroro took one look at the boy's sleeping figure beside him and then nodded before reaching out for the youngster's golden locks. He then stroked the blonde's hair gently before calling out, his voice as soft as possible, "Kurapika…"

The boy stirred gently at first before opening his eyes.

"Wake up, Kurapika. The others are almost here."

With those words, the young Kuruta's eyes flashed a dangerous glint of crimson before returning to their original sapphire hue. Kuroro noticed this and invisibly flinched at the implication; although a lot calmer than before, the anger in the last Kuruta's heart remains.

"How long?" the boy asked, sleepiness was not even evident in his voice.

"In half an hour," Kuroro replied. "Prepare yourself."

"Don't tell me that they'd all jump right at my throat the moment they get here."

"You may trust me enough not to let that happen," Kuroro replied in a very assuring way as a genuine, gentle but not playful nor mischievous smile crept on his lips.

Kurapika grunted before deciding to get out of bed and get some clothes.

"Where do you think you're going?" the raven-haired man asked.

"To the bathroom. Where else? I need a bath, for goodness' sake!" Kurapika replied venomously, sounding as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Shalnark grinned even wider at the act while Hisoka remained looking uncaring, contenting himself with the company of his cards. Kuroro, on the other hand, elegantly raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"Do you really think that you can intimidate them, given the tiny amount of aura leaking out of you now, Kurapika?" Kuroro asked, sounding smug yet serious.

Kurapika stopped on his tracks towards the bathroom and snorted before replying, "I'm not counting on my aura right now. It may take me a few days to fully recover, given the amount of stress you put me into. But at least I may try to look presentable. I do not want your pets to see me looking very frail like this." He then continued towards the bathroom and closed the door behind him.

"Tough kid," Shalnark commented as he sighed. "What do you plan now Danchou?"

"Nothing really, I'll just formally introduce him to the rest."

"And start a riot?" Shalnark answered tiredly.

"I can manage that."

Shalnark opened his mouth to say something but Kuroro interrupted him.

"I am the Head. The arms and legs obey what the head says."

"But…"

The pale features of the handsome raven-head grew softer and more confident. "Trust me."

There were a few moments of silence when the only music heard was the faint sound of water from the shower hitting the floor of the bathroom. After a few minutes, the blond boy finally got out.

"How do you feel?"

"I'll live," the Kuruta replied as he carelessly raked his hair with his fingers.

"What if someone… let's say, Nobunaga, challenges you in a duel?"

"Now?"

Kuroro nodded.

"What?! I'll accept, of course!"

"Given your current condition?"

"Even if I die, Kuroro Lucifer!"

"Very well…"

"Very well, what?"

"Uh… Danchou… They're here," Shalnark interrupted the argument as he spoke and stood up, holding his mobile phone. It seems that someone from the Ryodan had announced their arrival. "Coltopi said that he saw Machi and Nobu's ride nearing touchdown."

Kurapika paled a little at the announcement before looking back at Kuroro. "What do you want me to do now?"

Kuroro looked at him blankly for a moment before reaching out to tuck a lock of the boy's hair behind his ear.

The boy winced at this but did nothing more. It seems that the man was actually developing a habit of such acts and he was actually getting a bit used to it. After all, none of it was life-threatening and he finds it rather 'comforting', if not amusing, at some point.

"Nothing much," Kuroro answered, his dark orbs staring straight to blue ones, looking concerned if not worried. He then turned his head towards Shalnark and ordered, "Contact Coltopi again and tell him to meet us in our old headquarters here in York Shin."

"Aye, aye!" Shalnark giddily replied as he fished his phone from his pocket and started to dial the numbers feverishly.

"We have to arrive there first," Kuroro then declared. "Hisoka, you may go ahead of us but remain stealthy. If one of the Spiders except Coltopi is there before you or if anyone arrives and we're not there yet, head towards the abandoned pier near the coast and call me."

"As you wish, Danchou" Hisoka replied silently as he disappeared through the window.

"You and I, on the other hand, are checking out of this hotel."

"Whatever."

"Should I go with Hisoka?" Shalnark asked, rather politely as he raised his hand first to get the two's attentions before he spoke.

"No, head towards Machi and Nobunaga. Try to buy us more time. As soon as you are with them, call me. We'll try to see then if we can reach our old headquarters first before anyone else but once I receive a call from Hisoka, we'll head straight to the old pier."

"OK," Shalnark replied, giving them a thumbs-up before jumping out of the window.

"Let's go," Kuroro said as he gently grabbed the boy's hand in his.

Kurapika tried his best not to try and rip the man's arm off. "Let go…" he faintly whispered.

Kuroro ignored him and smiled. "If you want to live longer, you better get used to this."

* * *

"WHAT THE HELL ARE WE DOING HERE?!"

A loud masculine voice boomed inside one of the blimp's most expensive suites.

"Shut up old man!"

Another voice boomed, this time younger.

"Both of you, quiet down… We do not want to wake up everyone…"

The youngest said. This one sounded kinder and rather innocent.

"This suite is bulletproof, fireproof AND soundproof, Gon…" the younger of the two voices bickering earlier said. "Unless you…" a slight pause and a sip could be heard for the moment before he continued. "CLOSE THAT DAMN DOOR PROPERLY!"

"Oh… OK," the youngest replied, rather apologetically. He then scratched his spiky locks before dashing to close the slightly ajar door.

"I'm asking you, what are we doing here?!" the oldest one repeated, he was now standing up from the suite's spacious bed, as if ready to shake the two boys to oblivion if his question will again be ignored.

"We just got out of another tight Genei Ryodan situation quite easily and you're screaming as if it's a bad thing!" the silver-haired boy spat back. "My goodness, Leorio! It's just lucky that Kuroro Lucifer made a pact with Kurapika not to kill us, because honestly, we don't stand a freakin' chance! Understood?!"

"What about Kurapika? Who will save him now?"

"Killua and I think that he'll be fine." A nod from the silver-haired boy confirmed this.

"Gon!"

"Honestly…"

"Leorio," Killua said, looking a bit more serious than earlier. It was evident that the young Zoldyck heir is now losing his patience. "Do you seriously think that Lucifer will ever lay a finger on Kurapika?"

"That DEVIL just killed his entire clan!" the man argued, convinced that Kuroro Lucifer would soon be waging war against the only living Kuruta. "In a single snap, Kurapika's dead! Dead, I tell you! DEA-"

A thud.

"Killua!" the spiky-haired boy exclaimed as he rushed towards the man who was now lying unconsciously on the floor.

"He's too noisy," Killua replied with a snort. He crossed his arms and yawned, "Besides, he's eating my temper. Another minute and I could have killed him."

"But you shouldn't have hit him…"

"He'll be OK," Killua said as he stretched his arms. "He knew Nen already. He'll be up in a few hours and wouldn't remember this stupid argument."

"He's just worried."

"I know," the silver-haired boy replied as he headed towards the couch. "Oh, by the way, you might wanna check his neck, I think I heard a cracking sound…"

"Killua!"

"Kidding!"

The spiky-haired boy sighed as he carried the unconscious man back on the bed "Why can't Leorio see it?"

"Hmm? See what, Gon?"

"What we see…"

"He does."

"Then why is he like this?"

"Because, he sees what we see."

"I don't understand."

Killua sighed before speaking. "Kuroro Lucifer and Kurapika are not the two persons that will suddenly end up the way they really ended up. You see, Lucifer wounded Kurapika so much in the past that even the most idiotic person will be able to understand why Kurapika would give everything just to get back at him."

"It's so weird and so…" he paused at the loss of words. "…so unfitting, that he ended up falling for someone that he just tried to kill years ago. I mean, it happens a lot in TV series and movies and all those stuff but…"

"But?" Gon said, encouraging his best friend to continue on the explanation.

"It's happening right now. Two very different people who were ought to be hating each other and swinging axes at each other's necks… Gon, do you get what I'm talking about?"

"Yeaaa-no… No… Sorry…"

Killua felt the very sudden urge to let Gon meet the same end as Leorio. Fortunately, he let this one pass and proceeded on the explanation. "Gon, what I am saying is that Kurapika and Lucifer's relationship is as impossible as snow during summer. Leorio was hoping it to be like that and could not accept the fact that in their case, the snow really fell during summer… or something like that. Get it?"

"You mean, Leorio could not believe it?"

"He does but cannot accept it."

"Oh…"

"Well, how can you accept that someone you loved, been with you for a long time, treated you with almost as much love and all that cheesy and gooey stuff, ended up in the arms of his or her mortal enemy?"

"Erm… Badly, I suppose."

The young assassin grinned. "Exactly."

"Is that why Leorio isn't happy?"

"Uhuh…"

"Oh well, as you said, he'll get over it."

"I just hope that the Spiders wouldn't be too hostile, on the first… well… night."

"Mr. Lucifer would not let anything bad happen, right?"

"Yeah," Killua replied, finally closing his eyes. "I believe he is trustworthy enough to keep that promise."

Gon sighed silently before staring at his best friend who seemed to have fallen asleep already. "I wonder when everything will be normal again."

"Normal?" KIllua snorted. "It'll never be normal again, I'm telling you."

"Eh?"

"Kuroro Lucifer will be forever attached to us in one way or another. That's SO NOT normal, Gon."

"Oh…"

"But it's a whole lot better to have him like that than have him chasing after our necks, right?"

The spiky-haired boy managed a small smile as a few memories of adrenaline-powered Spider-chases rushed in his mind. "Right."

Finally, after almost half a day's ride inside the airship, two members of the dreaded Phantom Brigade reached York Shin City grounds. One of them was a woman who looked as if she is forever ready to kick anyone out of her sight. Another was a man who was amazingly grumpy and was clutching his katana in a manner that will make you think that another look and he would gladly take your head off.

These two, no matter how ill-tempered they may look, were able to blend into the rather large crowd of passengers that were boarding off the airship. It was not long when a certain brown-haired man called up their attention from the arrival station of the airport.

"Machi! Nobu!"

The two suddenly went alert at the call. The man clutched at his katana tighter while the woman searched for the owner of the voice among the crowd.

Soon, both noticed the waving arm of a rather energetic brown-haired youth.

'_Shalnark_,' the two chorused in their minds.

As soon as he was certain that he had been noticed, Shalnark ran towards his comrades, hitting a sudden stop as soon as he was about a meter away from the woman, since he thought that it will be better to stay a little farther away from the grumpy male. "It's nice to see both of you here!" he said cheerfully, his usual smile was shining brighter than summer sunlight on his face.

"Where's Danchou?" the man spat curtly, cutting off Shalnark's cheerful tone.

"He's off to the meeting place."

"Already?"

"Yep."

"You told him!" the man said heavily, almost unsheathing his katana at the younger-looking male.

"Sheesh, Nobu, relax…"

"Where's the brat?!"

"You're not telling me that you miss him!"

In a millisecond, the katana was unsheathed and it landed straight on the youth's neck.

"Nobunaga!"

However, if one may use Gyo, it may be observed that the blade was being pulled away from the brown-haired man's skin by a number of bluish Nen-strings. The brown-haired man, on the other hand, remained on his spot, still smiling as wide as ever and no noticeable rise of his aura was present. It seems that he had been anticipating the motion of the sword and the strings, so he remained calm as ever. On the other hand, the people all over the station stopped their activities to look at the commotion. Women, children and a few men screamed and screeched at the act as the samurai released his weapon. Those, who were strong enough to hold their tongues, however, automatically held their breaths as the weapon nearly landed on its target.

Shalnark noticed the very significant change in the atmosphere so he laughed loudly and exclaimed for everyone to hear, "Nobu, that's not the proper of greeting an old friend! Come on and let's have something to eat together, anywhere… My treat!" He then skipped from his post to land deftly behind Machi and Nobunaga. With a gentle touch, he pushed the two forward. "Come on! Let's go!"

Nobunaga merely grunted as he realized the scene that he had been making and sheathed his katana. He waited for Shalnark to take another step so that they would be side-by-side, before whispering angrily at the other's ear, "We'll settle this later…"

"Agreed," Shalnark replied in equal secrecy, his smile was still intact. He then raised his voice again to normal. "Onward mateys!" he said giddily, pointing upwards as if he is a kid.

As soon as he was sure that everyone in the area had already torn away their gazes, he whispered again, this time to the woman, "Thanks, Machi."

"You owe me your neck."

Shalnark simply scratched the back of his head as he chuckled casually. "I hope you wouldn't charge me… after all, I hadn't undergone any operations, right?"

"But it was still almost severed."

"Oh well," the man said. "I guess I'm really ought to treat you soon now…"

"I'll keep that in mind," Machi replied curtly. "For now, tell us where Danchou wanted to meet."

* * *

"Do we really have to do this?"

"Yes."

"I mean, what's the point? Your subordinates will still go there no matter what, so why are we rushing like crazy now?"

"If we get there first, it will establish the idea that we are very much prepared for this, which is very untrue in our case."

The blonde boy nearly spat out sarcasms but he was able to hold a few in. "I still do not understand why we have to rush and how's that going to help me later..."

"Well, first, I told you that you need not worry much about getting killed since you knew very well that I am not going to let that happen," the raven-haired man said. "Second, you might want to see and study the area now since a worst case scenario is a sudden attack from either one of Nobunaga, Feitan or Phinx."

With those words, bright blue orbs widened with shock. Then narrowed back again as a sigh escaped from his lips. '_My Nen's barely enough to keep me on my feet…_' he thought, clenching his fists with anger as the man sat calmly beside him inside the cab. '_If that happens, I'll…_'

"Worrying would never help, it will only stress you more," Kuroro stated casually as he saw the anxiety engraved on the bright sapphires of his companion. "Concentrate on recovering, Kurapika."

The boy restrained a snarl and obeyed the man instead, focusing on controlling the flow of his aura and the questions that are spinning inside his head.

There was a long pause that existed between the two. It was inevitable. Had it not been for the events of the past months, both of them, especially the younger one, would have a lot of things to say to the other. Curses perhaps, threats, questions… For the younger, it is a very difficult thing to sit beside someone you had been loathing for years and remain helplessly under his command. For the older, it was unbelievable on how someone as stone-cold as him to fall prey for someone as fragile as a butterfly. Incredibly, none of them ever snapped yet. Each has in his head methods to restrain himself from the magnitude of his emotions. Each is struggling. One had conquered his anger, the other, his doubts. Both are ought to live in the moment; to suffer in it and to savor in its fruits. Both came from different means and no ends… yet. And none knew that no matter how far he escapes from it or how hard he tries chasing it, it will always end the same. None of them can alter destiny. Not in this lifetime or the next. For their fates had already been twisted and twined, crooked and coiled to one another, in a manner that is most complicated and most curious at the same time.

The cab halted and the ever-smiling driver turned his head towards the two in the passenger seat. With a huge and toothy grin, he asked for payment which, in turn, was politely provided by the raven-haired man. The driver accepted and lifted his tattered old cap from his head as a sign of thanks as the two left the vehicle. With a friendly nod and a polite honk of the horn, the cab went away from their sight and the blond boy noticed where they are.

"Nostalgic?" Kuroro asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy's kinda-surprised-look as he led the way towards the Genei Ryodan's meeting hall.

"Gon and Killua told me about this place," Kurapika replied, as he sauntered forward to follow the man.

"I see," Kuroro muttered. "Those two have a lot of guts. What a future there is in store for them."

With those words, the young Kuruta's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "I hope you're not planning to take them in, Kuroro Lucifer…"

"What makes you think like that?"

"I felt it in your voice!"

"Now, now, Kurapika," Kuroro said, grinning slightly. "There's no need to be so grumpy about such nonsense."

"I'm warning you to get your hands off them…"

"You sound like a wife."

"If ever yo- WHAT?!" Kurapika screamed as he stopped in his tracks. "You just called me a WHAT?!" His eyes were large with shock and anger and he is growing steadily red with every moment.

Kuroro chuckled at the boy's reaction. "It's so easy to push your buttons Kurapika. You should train to trim down your temper or you'll have heart problems soon."

Kurapika opened his mouth but closed it immediately as he realized that another word will sink him deeper into humiliation. "Whatever…" he mumbled.

Kuroro smiled as the boy's aggressiveness quieted down. "Let's get down to business," he then said, his voice getting serious but the smile on his face remained.

The two reached the huge ruined hall that served as the main meeting chamber for the whole troupe. From one corner sat a familiar demented jester, whistling at their direction as a sign of acknowledgment before continuing on his card tower. Opposite his corner was a small guy with long green hair that covers his entire face. Kurapika knew him as Coltopi, one of his more subtle and silent guards during the time that he was held captive by the Spiders before he was sold. Coltopi turned a little bit sideways to their direction and the brightness of the moonlight revealed one bulging bright eye as the only visible feature of his face, save for his massive amount of hair.

The next moment, Kuroro walked off and sat on the farthest side from the corners of the two other Spiders. A huge block of chipped and cracked marble served as his throne as he majestically crossed his legs and brushed his clothes – his fur-lined coat first before his other dark-colored garments.

Kurapika raised an eyebrow to this as he knew very well that before they entered the hall, Kuroro was not wearing any coat or jacket. He did not even see when the man took it out or where the Spiders' head took it out from. Kurapika just saw him looking from Hisoka to Coltopi in one moment then walking off to his seat in the next with his coat on. He did not bother to ask though. Kuroro Lucifer is a bandit. A thief. The best of his kind, if there is one, he might say. His movements are ought to be fast.

Kurapika finally decided to find a place to sit on. He was not assuming or anything; he simply realized that since Kuroro seemed eager to keep him as a Spider and not as a captive only anymore. He believed that somehow, that 'state' earns him a spot on the cold and dusty floor or whatever the other Spiders are sitting or standing on.

He decided to pick the spot which is roughly the middle of Hisoka and Coltopi's respective corners, but a few meters forward so as to keep a slight distance from both although he made it a point to be closer to Hisoka than the other. He knew very well that the other Spiders would be occupying the remaining space and he wanted to keep away from them as far as geographically possible without getting too obvious. Furthermore, he knew that none of the other Spiders would be brave enough to sit that close to the magician than him, and that would be an advantage, especially when he knew that Hisoka is more of an ally right now.

"Kurapika," Kuroro's alluring voice broke the silence of the blonde boy's musings. "What are you doing sitting there?"

Kurapika, who was then planning on how to use the area's topography to his advantage in case of a surprise attack on any direction, was brought back to reality. "Huh?"

"You seem too serious thinking… Of what?" Kuroro asked, sounding rather curious.

The boy realized what was happening and decided to answer the question quite honestly. "I'm thinking of how to evade an attack from your subjects," he said rather casually.

Kuroro smiled at this and leaned forward as his head rested on his wrists. "If you seriously want to evade an attack, you should have chosen the best spot possible."

The boy snorted.

"However, I am congratulating you since you were still able to choose the second best spot."

Hisoka pouted on this since he got what his Danchou meant.

Kurapika, on the other hand, rolled his eyes on the statement. He already knew the answer.

"If you wanted to end this as uneventful as possible, you should have chosen to sit beside me, Kurapika."

"I thought you would say that…"

"You see, although I am the leader of this gang, I still do not hold their necks. Anyone can attack you there, on your spot, and although I believe that Hisoka would be considerate enough to aid you, I do not think that it will end there," Kuroro stated matter-of-factly. "Moreover, I think it would not be fair for Hisoka to take all of the arrows right now since he is also almost in the same state in this group as you are. The only difference is, he can defend himself and you cannot."

There was a single moment of pause before Hisoka was heard giggling because his tower toppled down silently.

It was the young Kuruta who decided to break the silence.

"What do you want me to do now, Kuroro Lucifer?" he asked, emphasizing the name as much as vocally possible without shouting. And although his back was facing Coltopi and Hisoka, both knew that his eyes were glowing red.

"Simple," Kuroro replied casually. "Stand here beside me," he said, pointing on the floor on his right.

Kurapika restrained a growl from escaping from his throat and decided to saunter as quietly as possible to the accursed spot. As soon as he reached the place, he faced Kuroro and spoke between gritted teeth. "There. Happy?"

Kuroro resisted the urge to purse the boy's lips with his just to keep more sarcasm from flowing out. He could have done so right now if they were alone, but the presence of two Spiders prevented him from doing so. Moreover, the others may arrive any moment soon. Getting caught in such a situation given their current state will be… unthinkable.

"From now on, you shall remain there, in that spot and nowhere else, during every meeting. That's an order," Kuroro said, sounding serious.

The boy could have retorted but recalling their agreement from last night, he remained silent and nodded once bitterly.

"It would be easier for me to protect you here than when you are seated a dozen of meters away. Furthermore, there is a smaller chance that anyone would attack you when you are with me than with Hisoka. I hope you understand. I've tried so hard to keep you alive these past weeks and I will continue to do so; that I have already told you. Now, part of that plan is to get you out of every Genei Ryodan meeting alive. I do not want any commotion and I do not like you to get hurt. Lastly, I could not bear thinking of another scene like that in Ferinn. Understood?"

With those words, Kurapika could have sworn that the world stopped right before him. In that short moment, he felt himself clinging to every word that escapes from the man's lips. He felt himself drowning in their essence and believing in their message. And for once, ever since he realized the danger that he was in, Kurapika felt safe and worried not for his life.

Somehow, at that moment, the boy was confused upon the upsurge of emotions – unwanted and unknown, that suddenly engulfed the entirety of his being. Gratitude was the first recognizable feeling that he was able to grasp. Second was warmth which from whence it came remained unknown, as coldness and cruelty cannot be torn away from the image painted in mind every time the name Kuroro Lucifer was thought of. Next were a myriad of other emotions, most of them old, that jumbled together to fall apart or to strengthen his new beliefs; to make his head sway and his heart dance away from its former stone-cold fortress. And lastly, one slight twinge hit him. That moment on, he already knew that the most dangerous of all his fears had finally taken shape to haunt him. That moment on, he noticed how deep the previous acts had dragged him. That moment on, he knew that someday only one of the two choices can be made with his life: give up or give in.

"I… I understand," Kurapika replied silently, bowing down to keep his eyes from being seen by the raven-haired man, for he knew that Kuroro Lucifer might see his thoughts from them. And right now, such discovery is more fearful than any looming attack from the other Spiders.

"Is there anything bothering you?" Kuroro asked, lowering his voice for the boy to feel the sincerity of his concern.

"No… there's none… I'm fine."

Kuroro was about to insist on his question when he felt two familiar auras heading to their direction. The speed was nothing to be alarmed of; it can be assumed that the two are walking casually towards the ruins.

"Feitan and Phinx," Kuroro muttered.

Kurapika caught the words and alerted himself, growing a bit tensed in the process.

As the two auras neared, another three appeared on their built-in radar. This three were a lot faster, probably hopping from rooftop to rooftop, if there's any, and are coming from the opposite direction.

'_And so, Shalnark and the two are coming last_,' he thought, looking untroubled as usual.

In a few minutes, a girl wearing glasses, a huge Frankenstein-y man and another creature covered with bandages arrived at the hall. All three of them settled their eyes first on the blonde boy who was standing on Kuroro's right before shifting to Hisoka on one corner.

If Kurapika's memory had not been tampered by his previous series of losing consciousness, he can remember well that the mummy-man was Bonorenof, "Gigantor" was Franklin and the harmless-looking girl is Shizuku.

All of the three settled on their favored positions soon thereafter. Shizuku stood near Coltopi and seated herself there before opening a small book to read senselessly again. Franklin stood across Shizuku's spot, at Hisoka's side of the hall and remained silent, occasionally glancing at the jester's direction since he seemed to pose a bigger threat than the composed Kuruta. Bonorenof, on the other hand, decided to sit a few meters in front of Franklin. It was noticeable that the Spiders who first arrived decided to sit on the sides as they may be considered as the less-hostile ones in the group. Those who were still out there, about to arrive, are the ones that are more vocal with their opinions, and sometimes, the ones who are more "action-oriented". Therefore, they may be more inclined to occupy the space in the middle and in front.

In the few moments of silence, Franklin and Bonorenof remained quiet, although it is noticeable that both of them kept on switching their gazes on Hisoka at the back and Kurapika at the front. However, Franklin decided to focus on Hisoka while Bonorenof focused on Kurapika.

The jester did not mind any of them. As a matter of fact, he continued on playing senselessly with his cards, giggling occasionally or muttering to himself. Kurapika on the other hand, did not take any of their lingering gazes thoughtfully. He knew very well that if anyone would be accepting, Franklin and Bonorenof are possible candidates for the spot. Right now, his main worries are the remaining members of the Phantom Brigade, minus Shalnark.

Sensing the arrival of three more familiar auras, Kurapika tensed more. Then after another second, one of the newest three nearly burst with the sudden aggressiveness of its aura. With that, Kuroro's eyes widened and his right arm suddenly sprang to his side to pull the Kuruta closer to him.

"What the-!" Kurapika blurted with the suddenness of the action.

Everyone in the hall, except Hisoka and Shizuku of course, would have been as surprised as Kurapika, had they not been just too shocked to react.

'_So, Machi's hunch had proven itself again to be true_,' Franklin thought. Bonorenof and Coltopi on the other hand remained quiet although it was evident that Bonorenof was then looking at the Kuruta with added fervor while Coltopi was blinking repeatedly as if to make sure that he's not hallucinating.

"Whatever happens, stay as close to me as possible," Kuroro whispered in a voice soft enough only for Kurapika to hear as he tightened his grip a little at the boy's wrist.

Kurapika would have reacted to those words if only he did not notice that all five of the unnamed auras from the outside decided to rush into the hall at lightning speed. Whatever argument he had in his mind drowned now as he realized that he will face his clans murderers again as a group.

He knew he had already softened a lot when it comes to Kuroro. Well, the man had been very considerate, if not sweet at some times, but then again, his subjects are a lot different. Hisoka remains to be as unpredictable as weather but he did help a lot in the past weeks. Shalnark may be quite accepting and easy to get along with, so he is not a problem. Coltopi seems to be a silent ally. Shizuku and Bonorenof are both passive, while Franklin is the type to abide by his Danchou's words no matter what. Now the other members pose bigger trouble. Machi, like Franklin will remain under Kuroro's command however, Kurapika still expected a cold treatment from her. Feitan and Phinx, will definitely be against him and may even want a few pieces of his flesh, quite literally, so he might consider distancing himself from them. And finally, Nobunaga… Well, it is obvious that the samurai hated every living, dying and dead cell of his body; his sudden aura-outburst just a few seconds ago was the best giveaway to that…

"DANCHOU!" a loud, booming voice echoed on the remaining walls of the chamber.

Kuroro shifted his gaze towards the owner of the voice who was standing on one of the openings of the meeting hall.

"Kuruta!" the samurai muttered under his breath as if it is a curse-word.

"It's the kid again," the man with no eyebrows, Phinx, said in a tone that was quite jovial – as if he was about to give a punch-line to a joke. "It's been a long time…" he said, cracking his knuckles afterwards.

"Hn," the small man, Feitan, said mockingly. "The brat's barely got enough aura to keep himself breathing."

With those words, Kurapika's eyes glowed crimson again as he growled angrily at the two.

"Sheesh! I thought getting his eyes red eats energy," Phinx said, looking far from surprised. "It seems that our little Kuruta has enough force to last a single round…" he added as he stepped forward towards the blonde boy.

Sensing the danger that his Kuruta is now, Kuroro finally stood up. "Not one more step, Phinx," he said, in a voice laced with such murderous intent that most of the Spiders stepped backwards, Hisoka's eyes widened, Shizuku dropped her book and Phinx fell to his butt.

Kurapika, on the other hand, could not believe what had just happened.

"Gosh… Danchou, I was just…"

"YOU'RE PROTECTING HIM!"

All eyes then fell to the owner of the voice – Nobunaga.

"Danchou! You're protecting him!" the samurai repeated, looking very accusingly at Kuroro and Kurapika.

"Nobunaga," Kuroro replied, calmer this time since the samurai did not seem interested into inflicting any physical damage. Phinx, on the other hand, already stood up and was watching the scene with as much confusion as everyone else. "You must understand that as the leader of this group, it is my job to look for potential members once our numbers go down. Right now, as our loss of two members – Uvogin and Pakunoda, remains to burden us especially during our raids, I already deem it to be necessary to find new members."

"Is that why Hisoka's here?" Machi asked.

"No," Kuroro answered, retaining his cold Danchou-persona. "As you knew, Hisoka simply left for quite some time and returned just now. Consider his absence as a sort of vacation."

"That's not the point here, Machi!" Nobunaga interrupted, his voice seething as his point was ignored. "Hisoka IS a Spider. I can accept that. What I cannot is the fact that Danchou here brought that BRAT with him!"

Kurapika raised his eyebrow comically upon the emphasis that the samurai put on the word "brat". If he had not known any better, he would definitely retort that it was Nobunaga who was acting like a brat.

"I brought him here because from now on, he is a Spider," Kuroro.

It was as if time froze inside the building. Nothing was heard save for the raucous cries of the dead-of-the-night birds from outside along with the eerie songs of the wind. Everyone was speechless. Even Hisoka, Shalnark and Machi who saw this coming were a bit shocked at the way that their leader had presented the blonde towards his subjects.

Of course, it was Nobunaga who recovered first.

"WHAT!?"

"You heard me right, Nobunaga. Kurapika is now part of the Genei Ryodan," Kuroro said, emphasizing his final sentence.

"Y-you… can't…"

"You know the rules. I am the Head."

"What about justice?!"

"Nobu-" Machi yelled but she was interrupted by their leader.

"It will be served," Kuroro said, his cold face showed a slight smile – the one he usually wears when he feels that victory is absolute.

With those words, Hisoka's usual grin widened as he covered the entire lower part of his face with a fan of playing cards. Shizuku blinked a couple of times before tilting her head innocently, as if she knew that something is not right but she could not figure out what it is. Franklin and Bonorenof exchanged gazes while Coltopi remained expressionless. Feitan and Phinx simply decided that it is best to look confused for now and ask for details later while Machi sighed as a sign of defeat. Shalnark, observing everyone else's reaction was still not confident although he felt a slight twinge of relief when he saw Machi's sigh. Whatever that may happen next, he can only trust their Danchou with the boy's life.

"What are the conditions?" Nobunaga asked, a nasty smile forming on his lips.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** After all the busy things that I've been through, it's nice to be back! Next Chapter will be up in a few weeks. I hope to hear from you soon. THANKS to those who read and reviewed!


	18. Late Initiation

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Nobunaga, as well as a few others were furious about the leader's decision. He finally proposed a fair game that had to be won by Kurapika in order to be considered a Spider. Kurapika refuses at first, but the samurai had challenged his pride and he could not let that pass.

_**CHAPTER 17: Late Initiation**_

"What do you mean by justice?" the blonde boy who was sitting in silence for the last hour asked.

The short, but nevertheless threatening, meeting earlier was still etched in his mind. He had opted to remain speechless about the issue as long as there was still a Spider present in the vicinity. And so as soon as he was alone again with Kuroro, he decided to ask the older man.

Kuroro, who was then busying himself with a book, replied without looking back, "Spider's Justice?"

The blond Kuruta nodded.

"Simple," Kuroro said, closing the book that he was reading. "You and Nobunaga will have a duel."

"Are you crazy?" Kurapika screeched at the older man immediately, making the latter want to flinch at the height of the boy's pitch.

"Are you out of your mind?" Kurapika rephrased, an octave lower than his earlier outburst.

Kuroro stifled a chuckle and then sighed as he prepared his reply for the boy. He was about to utter the first syllable of his answer when the kid in front of him heaved a huge sigh and muttered in a low voice, "Anyway, I will never, in a million years, back out of anything. If it's a duel you want, it's a duel you'll get. I swear, to the last of my breath, I will do my best to k-"

"Why are you so agitated about this, Kurapika?" Kuroro asked then interrupting the boy's rant, restraining a smile that is threatening to escape from his lips.

"Why?" Kurapika repeated, his eyes widening and his hands flying to different directions as if to illustrate something. "You're asking me why?" the Kuruta exclaimed again as he lifted his right hand towards his forehead as if he just got a terrible headache and he closed his eyes, looking very much like he was in pain, before opening them again to stare at the raven-haired man as if the said man had grown another head.

'_Once that bastard gets me alone, I'm more than dead meat!_' the boy could have blurted out loud. However, he decided that it is best to keep his current worries from being known by his sworn mortal enemy. It is not that he was doing his best to keep up a brave act. As a matter of fact, Kuroro can clearly see how nervous he is… It is just that, at least he will never admit it out loud. Where had the Kuruta pride gone down if he does that? So instead of flailing his arms helplessly in emphasizing how dangerous an opponent such as a fuming Nobunaga can be, he sharply turned his head away from Kuroro and muttered in gritted teeth, "N-nothing… Don't mind me."

"Do not worry Kurapika, he will not kill you," Kuroro replied with a small grin which was quickly hidden behind the book that he had been reading. "If that is what had been troubling you, then you need not bother to think about it. Nobunaga will definitely not kill you out there."

The Kuruta definitely got the point now, although it did not make any sense and he made sure to ask about that in a little while, however, there are more pressing matters at the moment.

"Out there?" Kurapika asked, his voice was gentle with confusion and his face was set in a frown. He had thrown away his anger for a moment to better emphasize his curiosity… or rather, confusion. "What do you mean by 'out there'?"

"Exactly what it means, my dear," Kuroro replied playfully. "Out there… It means 'out'," he paused and made a gesture of his hand to point on the open window. "…and 'there'. Well, further 'there', but nonetheless, 'there'," the man emphasized, flipping his hand over and over as if to estimate the distance of being 'there'.

The blonde could have torn his hair and scalp off in exasperation right at that moment but his temper withstood it and he asked, a lot more diplomatically than his head would usually allow, instead, "You mean, we're not going to fight in that old wreck you have as your hideout?"

"No," Kuroro answered, returning to his book again. "As you have said, it is a wreck. It will not take a single minute before the two of you reduce what remains of that thing into pure, unadulterated dust. And where's the fun in fighting without any challenges?"

The boy huffed. He should have figured that this man would respond as he did about the building but he could not help but raise his eyebrow on the added idea about fun. Somehow, it does not sound good. And it sounded more of…

"Hisoka's behind this, isn't he?" he asked.

"A bit," Kuroro said. "Actually, he simply hinted on the terrain."

There was a relatively long awkward pause and none of the two moved from their positions until the blonde decided to break the silence. "I still have two weeks to recover my strength, right? It should be enough," the Kuruta said before burying himself underneath a cozy blanket.

"Strength is not what you need," Kuroro said as if the boy was not there. "Sometimes, to defeat a man with prowess that exceeds yours, exploiting your weakness is a better solution." He shut his book closed and reached out to turn off the light. "Good night Kurapika. Sweet dreams to you," he uttered before pulling the string of the lamp.

Kurapika, who had heard each and every word remained unmoving, his eyes wide open with shock.

-x-

Two weeks had gone by too swiftly than he might have liked. Yes, he had full control of his Nen again but there remains the main problem that could not be solved with or without his Nen. And that huge problem of his is standing roughly seven meters away from him, smirking like some crazy man who had found something or someone to play with in the most gruesome way possible. He scrutinized the visage of the man, who had managed to insult the whole of his being by getting him to be as nervous as hell just by a mere smirk; which instantly drives him to think of his death looming at the very corner.

'_If that is what had been troubling you, then you need not bother to think about it. Nobunaga will definitely not kill you out there._'

Kurapika sighed. Tomorrow is the big day, so they say. None of the other Genei Ryodan members knew what might happen and where this duel will take place except for their Danchou and maybe the jester who is giggling like there's no tomorrow on one corner of the hideout. And wherever it may be, he had lost all of his patience and maybe half of his sanity in trying to guess the location of what Phinx dubbed as "The Big Event".

He switched his view towards the small masked man, Feitan, whom he was sure had been staring at him for some time now while he was still musing about how horrible and painful could his final moments be, and the man barely managed to escape his own gaze. Honestly, Kurapika thinks that there is something huge going on inside this gang of weirdoes, when all of them keep on stealing glances over him. What, are they taking their last chances of looking at him? No, of course not. That would be ridiculous. It was never the case that anyone in the group really cared about him. And he knew that.

Well… for some reason, something tugged at him to look at the peaceful countenance of their leader. For some reason, he knew that at least one man dared to care for him, may it be before or until now…

After a few seconds of feeling that someone is staring at him, Kuroro lifted his gaze from the book that he had been reading towards the blonde just a few meters across the room from where he is seated. He smiled, feeling that the boy might have needed or expected it. If neither, then at least he will be able to receive an amusing reaction.

Kurapika's jaw nearly dropped on the ground but he managed to retain its position and let out a cough instead.

'_Very amusing indeed_,' Kuroro thought before resuming his peaceful reading.

'_Yeah right! If he cared so much, then why would he put me in this situation?_' the blond boy thought, nearly gritting his teeth with annoyance until he realized what the statement must have meant. '_Stop it. You're over that already!_'

He was still contemplating whether to join in a peaceful game of cards that Shalnark had offered him a while ago against Coltopi, Bonorenof and Shizuku – yes, so far, he realized that getting along with them is far easier than the rest, when his musings was disrupted by a loud…

"Two hundred thousand?"

The owner of the voice was definitely the loud samurai.

All of them turned their heads, ears and attention towards the man when Shalnark suddenly swallowed what might have been a boisterous laugh. Everyone noticed that, of course.

Being outshined for a few seconds, Nobunaga made the scene his, again. "You bet two hundred thousand that my ass will get kicked tomorrow?" he asked loudly.

Phinx whistled, amazed that Nobunaga's eyes had not popped out of their sockets yet since they were actually bulging out of them. "Don't worry man, I still have my trust in you. I handed down fifty grand that you wouldn't kill the kid though," he said casually, flashing a toothy grin at the samurai.

Kurapika's more confused eyebrow rose up to question the commotion; it was the left one. Kuroro, who had nearly dashed rather instantaneously on the boy's side to smooth things up if ever the samurai decides to let out his temper on the blonde, finally deemed that it is about time for his Kuruta to know what was really happening beneath the tables within the Spiders' Lair.

"Well," he started, finding the sight of Nobunaga and Machi bickering like a distressed couple who had lost their baby in an amusement park, amusing. He cleared his throat and focused on their entertaining scene while he started his explanation. "Apparently, Machi had given a two hundred thousand zennies bet in favor of you for tomorrow's fight."

Kurapika's less interested eyebrow – the right one, perked up at this and started to twitch. Kuroro took that as a sign that he should start protecting his ears with Kou now.

"WHAT!"

The whole wreck found itself slightly shaken and small, wild, wandering animals could have been seen scampering away from the weathered edifice while birds and bats which had inhabited it had momentarily blocked the sky in their flight for their own lives, had it been viewed from afar.

"Hey kid, what's the matter with you, screamin' like that? You could've broken my eardrums!" Phinx complained as he removed his pinkies away from his ears.

"Wow, and I thought that was Uvo's technique…" Shalnark commented after he noticed that it is already safe for his hearing to expose his ears again.

"What is wrong with you, people?" Kurapika questioned, emphasizing his every word at Kuroro. Both of them had already stood and were facing each other barely a few inches apart. However, as the Kuruta's face shows of anger, Kuroro's countenance had been rather, smiling.

That little bit of fact had taken the Kuruta aback. He was about to scream out his frustrations when it finally struck him.

If Machi's betting on him, then it must be good – a really good thing.

"I told you Kurapika, trust me on this one," Kuroro whispered only loud enough for him to hear. And with those words, the blonde's blue eyes glinted with hope.

Fortunately, there had been no more other violent reactions from anyone in the Genei Ryodan that afternoon. Except for a few revelations of bets, and a screaming fit that was Nobunaga's, everything seems normal. It was as if the Spiders were simply just another group of misfits thrown by their worlds towards each other and they do not steal nor kill for pleasure. Kurapika could have sworn that if the group goes on like this, he could practically live with them, since technically, the bandits act as normal as possible, maybe even a notch lower than Gon and Killua's hyperactivity and Leorio's attempts to match them. In short, if only this band of people were not world-renowned criminals who wiped out the Kuruta clan, the blonde could have actually made friends with most of them. Some… except maybe the still giggling jester on a corner who was now muttering about berries or bananas… whatever… fruits.

Actually, truth be told, no one minds him now as much as they did on their first meeting; the night when he and his friends were kidnapped. Shalnark had not been anything but nice and accommodating that somewhat he feels that his tribesmen would have gouged his own eyes out when they knew that he had actually felt like he belonged with this group whenever the cheerful brown-haired youth makes him feel like he does.

Shizuku and Franklin had been very accepting too. As a matter of fact, it had been his newfound duty to supply the girl with interesting books, in hopes that they might somehow cure or somehow diminish the girl's forgetfulness. It was understandable. Shizuku took no part in the Kuruta massacre, and therefore he had nothing much against her. Franklin, on the other hand, had been incredibly diplomatic and sometimes even initiates a conversation with him. Maybe it was the man's loyalty to his Danchou that had urged him to treat the Kuruta as a colleague more than a captive. Well, technically, Kurapika is indeed their colleague now. Kurapika does not really mind, as long as they do not point that fact out. He knew perfectly well that he might as well play along with all the politeness and diplomacy thrown his way if he wanted his stay to be as peaceful as possible, especially when during this last two weeks, he had been busy in recovering for tomorrow's duel.

Coltopi and Bonorenof were both silent on the issue of him being the newbie. Of course, they rarely talk, but the smaller one, Coltopi, is actually quite a decent companion especially during card games. Bonorenof, on the other hand, produces these weird noises that the poor Kuruta could not really decipher but nonetheless he sincerely believes the man is pretty good in expressing his emotions through that plethora of sounds… although he admits that none of them ever made sense to him.

On the case of Feitan and Phinx, well, if one may put closely, those two could pass on as evilly-twisted versions of Gon and Killua. They seem to be the inseparable best of friends in Genei Ryodan standards. They play around like kids and it is sometimes entertaining to watch them bicker over mundane things until they find the idea of setting off for a killing or stealing spree as a way to settle stuff nice. For one, Kurapika is sure that Feitan is still deeply interested on how much blood he will draw if he had been sliced open and will still jump to the opportunity to dice or dissect him any time, but nevertheless, he does not pose any threat and minds his own business. And as far as Kurapika is concerned, that kind of treatment is very much welcome right now. Phinx's case is a bit different, and although he does a lot of gruesome things he seems pretty nice towards him. Although there is still this huge, lingering doubt that the eyebrow-less man remains doubtful his gender… Well if there is some sort of improvement in the way he treats Kurapika, it is the fact that he does not call him names anymore. Kurapika wonders if the man had finally matured or had realized that he had a long patience for name-callers, but anyway, the man refers to him now as "kid" only, not "brat" or "little-rabbit" or "missy" or "girly-boy" et cetera, et cetera, the list will go on… And that is a big improvement.

Nobunaga obviously hates every fiber of his being. And that is all to it.

Machi is as cold as steel, but she is like that towards everyone else. Kurapika could not help but feel a few shudders on his spine whenever the girl stares at her, however, it seems that her coldness extends towards her colleagues too, except maybe their Danchou, whom she seems to be forever loyal to. And Kurapika could not help but narrow his eyes with suspicion at that. He never denies that Kuroro is an attractive man and removing his bloodlust and "kleptomania" – as the Kuruta had dubbed it, any red-blooded female would gladly fall on those strong arms of his. Well, with those facts present, it is not impossible that the stone-cold Machi may be…

A small, evil smirk made its way upon the Kuruta's face. '_Hah! That information may be useful someday._' He shook himself awake after the thought. Had his stay with the Spiders tampered the goodness in his heart? If not, then why is he thinking like a scalawag now?

Lastly, Hisoka… Well, the magician is still as weird as he had first met him. Apparently, it is his real nature. However, the joker does seem to give him a few friendly, if not a teeny bit less disturbing, smiles every now and then whenever he chances to glance upon his direction.

A familiar masculine voice broke his thoughts. "What do you want to eat?"

"Huh?" he responded.

"I said what do you want to eat?" Kuroro repeated, settling himself beside the boy who was lost in his thoughts a few moments ago on a corner of his bed inside their hotel room.

"Uh… Noodles?" Kurapika replied rather absentmindedly.

"OK. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"To a zoo."

"…what?" At this point, Kurapika had already slipped from his bed and landed on the floor with a soft 'thud'.

"Of course to a noodle house, where else?" Kuroro said, taking the reluctant boy's hand into his and pulling him up. "You will need your strength tomorrow, so let's have a nice dinner."

Kurapika would have grumbled but he knew that what the man had said is true – that he will need his strength, so he relented and soon, he found himself in front of his third bowl of ramen.

"Now I'm wondering where you will put all of those in that skinny body of yours," Kuroro commented.

"I'll transform them into energy," Kurapika said as he began to put an end to the noodle bowl.

Kuroro smiled as he paused to admire the incredibly peaceful moment with the Kuruta. He had observed that though the boy remained in his skinny, feminine frame, he had gained some color, especially on his cheeks now.

"What are you looking at?" the Kuruta asked rather venomously, pausing his chewing on the noodles in his mouth.

Kuroro stifled his laughter and smiled charmingly instead. "Kurapika, I guess you would not let me give you the upper-hand for tomorrow's battle, right?"

The boy rolled his eyes and nodded before continuing upon his dinner.

"But remember what I told you that night," Kuroro said softly. "And trust upon Machi's bet."

"I understand."

"Good."

"By the way, what are you up to, Kuroro?" the boy finally asked after a few moments of awkward silence between the two; silence that was filled by the man's scrutiny of the boy's countenance and the boy's obliviousness to all of it.

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"The Spiders are never meant to stay at the same place for a very long time together. So, what are you up to?"

"The duel."

"And?"

"Shouldn't you be minding your own business, Kurapika?" Kuroro then said, raising an eyebrow at the boy's unexpected curiosity.

"I'm just wondering… and well, I thought I should know as I am… well…"

"You will know after the duel."

"…right."

-x-

"Can't sleep anymore?" an alluring masculine voice broke the quietness that had engulfed the rather getting-familiar room that they rented for quite a few weeks now.

"Yeah…" a younger and finer pitched one replied.

"It's all right," the older one said. "It is almost dawn already anyway."

After a few moments, the sound of someone getting out of bed was heard. And a few more moments after that, the younger one felt the weight of his companion on the unoccupied side of his bed. He was about to scream out of indignation when the man sealed his lips with a single finger.

"Don't," he said simply. "No screaming at this hour, Kurapika. It's not polite."

The boy hissed angrily, "Then get out of my bed!"

"It's not like we had been sleeping too far from each other Kurapika."

And Kurapika took that moment to turn the brightest shade of red.

"Just… just get off!" Kurapika nearly stuttered but managed to retain the emphasis of his tone.

However, the man who was supposed to be feeling rather pushed away inched closer and has already settled into lying and not only sitting on the same bed.

"Kuro-"

"Whatever happens, I'll find you."

"Huh?"

"I promised not to put you in any kind of grave danger," Kuroro said, closing his eyes and smiling his mysterious but most convincing grin. "I am a man of my word Kurapika."

That, the blonde already knew, and much to his own surprise, even believe. However, what had totally silenced him for the rest of the time that remained until the heavens had decided to fully unfurl its morning grandiose were the words that came out from the mouth that he had always dreamed of brutalizing years and years ago.

"I need you."

-x-

"Kid sure looks not very healthy…" Phinx commented after seeing the Kuruta from a quarter of a mile walking towards them, alongside their leader, looking rather pale and confused.

"Hmph. Proves to you that I AM the one worth of your support!" Nobunaga bellowed, half in pride, half in indignation.

"I'll raise my bet to three hundred grand," Machi said nonchalantly, finishing the knot that kept her hair up.

"MACHI!"

"Shut up," the girl reprimanded the samurai.

When everything was about to explode into a riot, Kuroro finally decided that it is time.

"Gather," Kuroro gently ordered.

Without a moment's pause, all of the Spiders disappeared from their previous locations and reappeared only a few feet away from their leader, in a crooked and uneven semicircle.

"The duel shall be at the great jungle of Serrega province in Gilleos. You may take any method of transportation that you like. The country is just a week away from here if a Spider is to travel on foot. I shall be expecting everyone at the border of the jungle two days from now."

There was a short pause, as if to ensure that everyone got the instructions before the Genei Ryodan's head continued, "Travel in pairs or small groups to avoid any unwanted attention. Contact me or Shalnark in case of any necessary delays. Silence every threat encountered."

Kurapika mentally flinched at the implication of the statement.

"Questions?"

Silence.

"Disperse."

-x-

"Gon, Killua…"

"Yes Leorio?" Gon replied.

"What's your plan now?" the man asked while looking out of the window of the bus that they had been riding for a quarter of an hour now.

"Maybe we'll get a few missions," Killua answered. "Since you've filed a Leave of Absence for a whole semester in order to help us in rescuing Kurapika weeks ago, then why don't you join us for a hunt?"

"Huh? A hunt? You mean a Hunter job?"

"Yeah! Killua, that's a great idea!" Gon happily exclaimed.

"Of course it is," Killua smugly replied. "It came from me, what do you expect?"

Grinning at the goofy way that his two young friends treated their situation, Leorio decided to comply.

"Right! Now it's the three of us in an adventure!" Gon giddily exclaimed, thrusting his fist in the air and attracting the attention of the other individuals inside the bus, therefore, earning him a smack at the head from his silver-haired best friend.

"Quiet down…"

Gon laughed nervously before apologizing with a bow to everyone he saw who looked back at them.

"So. Where are we headed now?" Leorio then asked. "Last time I asked, both of you had only decided to explore the other side of the world in order to run away from the Spiders."

"Kinda," Killua confirmed. "We'll be looking for Hunt opportunities there, where we can most probably not bump to the Spiders."

Leorio sighed once there before speaking, "So you were really dropping me off at home?"

Gon nodded, "But we figured out that it will be more fun with you along, Leorio. Also, it will be best to do that to take your mind off of-"

A coughing fit suddenly attacked Killua.

"Off of what?" Leorio narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Gon and Killua from head to toe.

"Erm…" Gon somewhat nervously started to make up for his slip. "Off of… of…"

Killua glared a warning at Gon's direction that plainly orders him to think of a good excuse.

Gon gulped at that before speaking again. "Off of… of boredom! Yeah! Boredom… You know, you really got nothing to do now until the next semester starts."

"Yeah," Killua spoke, eager to support Gon's reply, no matter how feeble it is right now as honestly, he got no better idea. "People die of boredom, old man. So we thought of saving us all the expenses for your funeral and asked you to jump in our escapades."

Leorio blinked a few more times before finally taking in the situation. It had been a long time since he had really gone out of his 'own boring world'. "OK kids, Count me in!"

-x-

"Two days…" Nobunaga muttered to himself. "I'll finally get him in two days."

"You're not thinking that Danchou might be buying the kid more time?" Phinx asked.

"Nope," Nobunaga replied. "And I don't give a damn. I'll get blondie in one way or another. That's for sure."

Machi rolled her eyes.

"We're almost there!" Shalnark piped up enthusiastically as he peered behind him to announce the good news.

"Oi, keep your eyes on the road!" Phinx reminded him.

"Yeah, yeah," Shalnark replied nonchalantly. "Never knew that you're scared to get a boo boo over a car accident."

"It's not that!" Phinx countered, a vein almost popping out of his temple. "I like this car, so I plan to keep it."

"Heh, they got tons of this from where we got it so relax," Shalnark said. "And it's not that we'll get killed in a car accident…"

"Hey Shal," Nobunaga interrupted, his eyes focused on the scene outside his window. "You got any ideas on what Danchou's up to?"

"Nope, but I bet Hisoka does."

"That creep?" Nobunaga and Phinx exclaimed in unison.

"Yeah," Shalnark replied, his eyes focused on the road. "I have a feeling that he knows pretty much what will be going around for a while."

"Don't you think Danchou favors him too much?" Phinx asked again.

"Why not?" Shalnark countered, looking at the two men through the rearview mirror. "Hisoka can be quite a useful ally when it really matters. And don't you favor him over Kurapika?"

The samurai huffed, "I'll favor anyone over that red-eyed freak!"

"You sound like an infatuated high school denial queen Nobu," Phinx teased, which earned him a death glare from the samurai. "It's a joke… sheesh!"

"Anyway," Machi sighed, took the turn to speak. "What do you plan to do once the two of you are alone?"

Nobunaga clenched his fist, "Well, what else? I'll make sure he'll beg me to kill him."

Shalnark smirked at that. '_I may want to raise my own bet at this little game._'

-x-

"I hope you've rested well," Kuroro said as he and Kurapika ate their dinner silently in a small restaurant which was adjacent to their inn. "Shalnark said that most have already crossed the border, so it would not be long 'til they get here."

"I'll live…"

"You still do not wish to hear any tips?"

"No."

"Suit yourself Kurapika."

The rest of the evening had been spent over quietness – Kuroro reading a newly-bought book and Kurapika reading one from Kuroro's own collection before deciding to retire for the night. Kuroro stopped reading at once when the boy announced that he wanted to sleep already. He then prepared himself for bed and turned off the lights.

After a few hours of staring on the bare ceiling and contemplating on what might take place the next morning, Kuroro decided to focus his gaze on his already slumbering roommate. Finally, he decided to climb down from bed and head towards the sleeping form of the blonde.

Making sure that the boy is already swimming deep in dreamland, he gently took his chance to caress the golden locks while observing the gentle breathing of the young Kuruta. Humming an almost inaudible tune, he smiled to himself before leaning over the blonde's forehead and planting a soft kiss.

"Getting cheesy, eh, Danchou?" Hisoka said while perched on a tree just across their window.

Kuroro stood up and placed a finger between his lips as a gesture to quiet the other man down before hopping towards him.

"Mission accomplished," Hisoka said in a sing-song voice as he playfully swung his legs over the branch he was seated on.

Kuroro, who was then standing just beside him and facing the disappearing moon smiled, "Excellent."

-x-

It was a very sunny morning and no clouds can be found obscuring the bright blueness of the heavens. The small inn had already started its business and the restaurant adjacent to it, which was owned by the same withered old man, was already exuding a delicious smell that spelled 'breakfast'.

Nothing wrong was bound to happen on such a beautiful day like this. And it seems that the statement had been very much deeply engraved upon the minds of the handful of workers that bustled in the restaurant's kitchen and hustled in the inn's small lobby.

"Good morning sir!" the proud, gray-haired and wrinkled owner of the two establishments flashed his half-toothless yet somehow still thousand-watt smile at Kuroro as he greeted the Spider-Head to head start his morning.

"Good morning," Kuroro politely replied with his usual dashing-debonair grin.

"Good morning kiddo!" the old man then greeted the blonde youth.

"Good morning to you too mister," Kurapika politely answered with a slight bow.

"Enjoyed your stay?" the old man asked as he processed the money handed over him for a change.

"Yes," Kuroro replied with the air and enthusiasm of a young man who had done no evil in his entire life – like Gon perhaps. "It's such a cozy inn!"

"Why thank you!" the old man answered. "Well, it ought to be, as there is no other place to spend the night in this area since it's a bit near the infamous Serrega jungle. Oh! You two better run off anywhere but there you know. Lots and lots of frightening creatures crawl on its bug-infested grounds and man-eating monstrosities abound every corner and dwell on every tree inside it," he explained, his eyes, though glassy with cataract, getting wider every now and then for emphasis.

"Once you get in, you're ought to get out in pieces… if you manage to get out," he continued. "One of my previous workers here ventured too far on the woods for firewood and crossed the border of the human realm to hell when he did not notice the signboard that says, '_Serrega Jungle. One step more and you may not get out alive. Enter at your own risk._' Well he did manage to get out…"

"How?" Kurapika asked, curious on how a normal human might have survived.

"A huge, many-legged, slithering creature got out of the jungle and got itself slashed on the belly by one of our customers who turned out to be a helpful Hunter three days later. Poor lad slipped out still half-digested from the huge wound," the old man explained, sighing. "He's such a nice boy. Too bad he ended up as dinner for that oversized centipede-thing. Never found anyone as kind and cheery as him in a long time…"

Kurapika blinked twice at the mental image.

"Oh well… Gotta be careful lads. Gotta be careful," the old man emphasized as he handed Kuroro their change which the raven-haired man politely refused and offered the older to keep.

"No, keep it," Kuroro kindly spoke. "It's for the tip."

After a stuttering old man had forced them into a free breakfast, the two finally made their way through the woods and towards the meeting place: the border of the infamous Serrega Jungle.

"Danchou!" Shalnark waved merrily at the two of them. Behind him were a smirking Phinx, a sighing Machi, and an obviously bloodthirsty samurai.

"The others are on their way," Shalnark explained. "Bonorenof. Franklin and Shizuku would probably arrive here by lunch or early afternoon. They're the group that is farthest from here. It seems that they've encountered a little distraction."

Just as Shalnark finished his last word, a gigantic blue-black bear emerged from the lush jungle and slashed its paw towards the seemingly unsuspecting youth. But when Shalnark dodged and prepared to playfully, yet lethally, nudge the enormous carnivore to its grave, a single card flew and landed deep into the animal's forehead. It gave one final roar before falling into huge, meaty heap, making the ground around it shook for a bit and scaring the hell out of the birds on the nearby trees.

Shalnark and Phinx whistled while Machi hissed at the realization of the arrival of another companion.

"Hisoka," Kurapika muttered to himself.

"Glad I'm not late," Hisoka said, sporting a lecherous grin and bowing majestically at them. "It's a beautiful morning, is it not?"

It would have been an innocent statement, filled with good cheer, if Hisoka did not really smell like he had been bathing in blood all week.

Blood. Kurapika thought that it was not a very good omen.

Kuroro then took the time to sit on a protruding rock with his back on the jungle and his face on his subjects as he pulled a book out of nowhere and tossed it to Kurapika, who, as he was still lost in his thoughts, barely managed to catch it. Then he positioned himself comfortably and started flipping the pages of yet another book until he found where he left it last night. The Kuruta sighed as he felt daggers being thrown his way by the fuming samurai and plopped himself down on the least mossy stump near the Genei Ryodan's leader and decided to pass his time reading too. After all, it might even lessen his tension.

By noon, two amazingly fast figures zigzagged through the forest and landed deftly just behind Phinx, who was then concentrating deeply on what card to throw.

"Wanna join?" Shalnark asked as it was his turn. He just finished throwing a card when Hisoka giggled maniacally behind him. "Hisoka, if you're really that good in playing, then why don't you join and stop making me nervous with that all-knowing laugh of yours…"

"Losing again, Shal?" Feitan sneered at him.

"Shut up…" Shalnark weakly demanded.

It was not long before Franklin's bullets could be heard not far from where they were seated. Kurapika expected everyone to stand up and start rushing towards the source of the sound but to his surprise, none of them even batted an eyelash and in fact, he was the first one to react by standing up.

He threw one confused glance at Kuroro before facing the direction from which the sound came from.

"The others are OK," Kuroro said casually. "They just met another of the wandering hungry residents of the jungle. Franklin must have been the one to spot it."

"Oh…" Kurapika muttered. "Not a teeny bit worried…"

"I know my men, Kurapika," Kuroro replied, a tone of finality lacing his tone.

Surely, after a few more minutes, Franklin, Bonorenof, and Shizuku emerged from the trees unscathed.

"We kinda got caught up," Franklin explained. "Twice. You heard the last one."

Kuroro closed his book and stood up. He mentally cleared his throat and started, "Now, for the sake of all things formal, in front of you is the infamous jungle of Serrega province, otherwise known as Serrega Jungle. It had been terribly dangerous for normal human beings to lurk around this place due to the incredible number of weird monstrosities that happened to declare this place as their territory. Most of these creatures even happened to be powerful – being able to use Nen a lot better than most Hunters." He said everything in a tone as if he was a boy forced by his parents into reciting a poem; bored and monotonous.

"Of course, I presume that none of these critters may be strong enough to match you," Kuroro said, his raven eyes boring deeply into Kurapika's soul on the last word.

Kuroro then proceeded to the main details of the 'event'. "This duel was made to be simple," he said. "I instructed Hisoka to run around the jungle and scatter cards everywhere. Your goal is to collect the cards; as simple as that."

The sable-haired man paused to observe the infamous jungle for a single second before continuing, "The person with more cards at hand wins this duel. You have three days."

"WHAT?" Nobunaga exclaimed angrily. "Aren't we supposed to kill each other?"

"Well, no," Kuroro replied truthfully. "Once you jump into that jungle, you're in big trouble. When you start venturing inside with each other, you're in bigger trouble. And you haven't heard of the conditions yet Nobu."

By that time, Nobunaga's scrunched up face started to transform into a rather malicious sneer.

"Winner gets to do whatever he wants with the loser. Fair enough?" Kuroro asked.

"Whatever?" Nobunaga asked, eyes glinting dangerously with bloodlust. "I can kill him?"

"If you win," Kuroro said, grinning back while emphasizing the first word. He then stole a glance at the blonde Kuruta who seemed to pout but regained composure swiftly after. "However," Kuroro continued, "you must not kill each other inside the jungle. The act is punishable by permanent dismissal to the group and loss of a few body parts. Death to your friends it shall be, Kurapika." Kuroro finished the statement with an icy stare.

Kurapika flinched at the sudden coldness. Well, it sure looks like the demon in Lucifer had not left him completely.

"And to add more fun," Kuroro said smirking mischievously. "Hisoka, tie them up."

"What?" the two chorused.

"Together," Kuroro added, flashing his smile to everyone.

"NOOO!"

A terribly long and loud line of expletives escaped from the samurai's mouth while Kurapika started muttering them to himself like a mantra as the jester hummed happily while binding them together with his Pansy Gum.

"Danchou, you can't do this!"

"Kuroro, you devil! I'll get you for this when I come back!"

"Oi, shut up brat! I'm so darn unlucky to get you as my partner. I bet we'll be killed inside now!"

"Don't shut me up idiot! We'll surely get killed if you'll remain to be as stupid as you are right now…"

"What? How dare you!"

"Stop moving your hand! I'm getting dragged!"

"It's not my fault that you're so weak, bastard!"

"I'm not weak! And if this is a proper duel you would have been biting the dust already!"

The two went on and on until they finally entered the notorious jungle.

"Those two will get along well," Shalnark optimistically declared.

Feitan's left eye suddenly started twitching. "They sounded like Nobu and Uvo arguing after a mission!" he pointed out as he stared at the direction where the two had disappeared earlier.

"Exactly," Shalnark said with relish.

"I'm raising my bet to five hundred grand that Nobu will return not hating the Kuruta anymore," Machi said.

"Whoa! That's a pretty large bet!" Phinx said. "Machi, you're sure about this?"

"If you're not, why don't you just fold and hand me that hundred and fifty grand you raised and threw last night?" Machi replied smugly.

"No waaay!"

-x-

The jungle was filled with the usual sights and sounds – birds chirping, animals hooting, bugs and other smaller critters crawling on the ground. Everything seems normal, if you do not count that every now and then the samurai and the teen kept on getting attacked by weird-looking, and rather more commonly, oversized arthropods.

"Damn these roaches!" Nobunaga screamed as he sliced another two-feet-long insect that aimed to land on his face.

"Stop moving around! This stupid gum-thingy is not very elastic without Hisoka here!" Kurapika reminded him as he kept on dodging and using his chain as a whip that easily crushed through the tough exoskeleton of the unknown critters, killing them instantly.

"Lucky for you you're right hand's free!" Nobunaga stated grimly. "I bet that demented clown's against me for binding my right hand!"

"If you're really as strong as you've bragged earlier, you could easily manage even with your left hand. Aren't you a samurai?" Kurapika countered.

"Shut up brat!" the samurai screamed. "If only Danchou had not ordered, I would have killed you already!"

"You could try, dumbass…"

They continued upon their senseless bickering, Kurapika losing focus on his surroundings and Nobunaga losing almost half of his life by trying to control his anger.

"Fine! Let's have a truce," Kurapika suggested after killing what must be his five thousandth oversized bug for the day. "It's getting dark already and we need to camp. If we get on like this, we'll end up killing each other even before we get our hands on some cards."

"What do you want to do then?"

"Simple," Kurapika stated. "Let's just focus on looking for cards. OK?"

"Right," Nobunaga agreed as the two of them walked together. "How do we decide which way to go without killing each other then?"

"We'll take turns, OK?" Kurapika proposed. "Every after an attack from monsters other than these bugs, one of us will choose which way to go. You'll choose first, after the next attack. Until an attack occurs then, we will continue walking on a straight line. Clear?"

"Crystal."

"And about the cards, well," Kurapika spoke. "Whoever sees a card first shall own that card. We should NOT fight over it. Nor should we race towards it because we'll simply drag each other and trip. OK?"

"Good idea," Nobunaga agreed. But after a few moments he furrowed his brows. "But how about when we see a card at the same time? That's inevitable, right?"

"Uh…"

"Why don't we settle it the Genei Ryodan way?"

"What do you mean?"

Nobunaga then rummaged from his pocket and pulled out an odd coin. On one side, a figure of a spider is drawn while on the other side is a web. "Toss coin."

Kurapika nodded, "Agreed."

After a few more hours, night had finally crept its way until the sky was already wearing its most extravagant robe of diamond-studded deep blue. Only a few clouds were in sight, occasionally blocking what had been left of the moon and disturbing the peaceful twinkling of the stars. The wind was blowing gently, as if scared of hurting the creatures it guarded. However, all of this could have been easily appreciated if only the Kuruta had not been stuck in a hell of a jungle with the person he least liked. Well, obviously, his dislike for Kuroro was of another type. Tonight, he was simply and utterly irritated with his… partner.

It would have been terrible if he was to spend an entire day hunting for some demented jester's lost playthings in a jungle that had been known to eat people. But a man known as Kuroro Lucifer just has to make everything a lot worse; he ordered them to be tied up and bound together by their wrists… just for the fun of it.

'_I hate that man!_' Kurapika screamed in his head.

"Hey, Kuruta," the samurai spoke first, breaking the silence between the two of them that had lasted for almost an hour now, after the last attack and the choosing of paths.

"What?" the boy irately spat, causing the samurai to twitch his left eye and lose some of the patience he had taken too much time to gain that afternoon.

"Hey, I'm trying to be really nice here!" Nobunaga immediately said, his tone rising along with his voice.

The blonde Kuruta only huffed at the samurai before speaking again, "Yeah, what do you want?"

"I'm hungry."

"You're not alone."

"So…"

"So what?"

"Can you please stop being such a pain in the ass and cooperate?" Nobunaga bellowed, scaring the heck out of the birds and the small animals near them.

The younger one heaved a huge sigh before speaking again, "So what do you plan to do then?"

"Well, let's find something to eat," Nobunaga said, injecting as much calmness as possible within every word. "There are tons of edible things here, we just got to wait for an attack and see if the critter's good enough to be eaten."

"OK. So where do we stay for the night?"

"Depends," Nobunaga said. "Do you want a cave or an open space? A hole? Or what?"

"Amazing," Kurapika commented. "You're asking for my opinion…"

At that, Nobunaga stopped on his tracks and got totally red with embarrassment.

"S-shut up!" he stuttered. "I-I was just considering you more right now b-because I don't want a-a burden!"

Kurapika raised an eyebrow before dismissing the conversation, "Yeah yeah… now let's walk and wait for something to try and eat us so we can eat it."

Sure enough, after a few minutes of walking and making sounds to attract attention of hopefully a meaty animal, a hungry and rather nasty looking two-headed dog of some kind appeared before them. Nobunaga was the first one to notice and already unsheathed his katana, a lot more used to his left hand now than earlier that day. Kurapika too had already materialized his chains.

It took a single snarl from one of the heads of the unknown dog-like animal before the two braced themselves for the first strike. The animal leaped from its position but instead of rushing towards them to try and rip them to pieces as they expected, the beast stayed in midair and blew purple flames at them.

Too shocked to synchronize their thoughts and even their movements, Kurapika ran towards Nobunaga's left while Nobunaga ran towards Kurapika's right. The gum that kept them bound, barely lengthened itself before returning to its original length causing the two to bump at each other and fall on the muddy, leaf-and-bug-littered ground. Fortunately, the attack was aimed at their heads and falling down helped them evade the attack, although rather barely and very unceremoniously.

"Oi, watch it brat!" Nobunaga exclaimed angrily at his companion who was now almost crushed beneath him. He was expecting a response or another bickering bout but the boy remain muted. "Huh? Kuruta?"

Before he could even realize what happened, another stream of angry purple flames rushed towards them and he had no other choice but to roll out of the way, taking the boy with him.

"Kuruta!" he shouted at the boy's face, but the other was completely knocked out cold. "Oh, shit!" Nobunaga muttered when yet another burst of fire barely missed his head. '_I couldn't let this kid die. Danchou will kill me!_' With that thought he slung the boy over his shoulders and ran for the nearest shelter.

"Hey,Kuruta! Wake up!" he tried again, wondering if the other was just playing around to make things harder for him.

"You brat! Open your eyes! Wake up or I'll kill you!" he screeched again as he found refuge behind a huge rock. He then started shaking the boy awake, earning him an almost inaudible moan of pain from the unconscious blonde.

"We're under attack! I can't fight properly with you like that, wake up!" Nobunaga yelled again. Just when he was moving to another level to try to wake the boy up by slapping him, blood trickled to the hand that was holding one of the boy's shoulders. "What the-?" he muttered before shifting his gaze towards the ground where they fell earlier. A small, protruding rock was slightly tinted with red.

'_Shit!_' he screamed loudly inside his head as he started to panic. "Damn kid!" he said as he slung the boy over his shoulder again. "Damn monster!" he bellowed towards the creature which was now preparing to roast the two of them alive.

He clutched his unsheathed katana tighter on his left hand and held it with his other hand although it was still connected to the boy's left hand.

'_Damn it all to hell!_' he bellowed in his mind as he charged.

-x-

AUTHOR'S NOTES: I'm back! Yep. Oh well, it's been a long time and I apologize for those who have waited. My laptop crashed unexpectedly and then after it was fixed (as was covered by the warranty) its charger failed. In short, I embarked on a long quest before my laptop was back in shape. I want to thank everyone who had been faithful and also those who had been adding this to their alerts and favorites, and adding me to their alerts and favorites. Also, thanks to those who have left reviews even though I failed to update for a long time.

I love you all guys and watch out for the next chapter. There's something big up ahead. I mean it.

By the way, I might update a lot faster since my laptop's fine already. Hope to see your reviews until then XD.


	19. Turning at an Odd Angle

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Forced to stay together for a while, two people who completely and utterly disgust each other were just about to turn things the other way around.

**WARNING: **OOCness at its highest (I think…).

**_CHAPTER 18: Turning at an Odd Angle_**

"I wonder what they're doing," Shalnark suddenly voiced out, breaking the few seconds' silence that had momentarily engulfed the whole brigade.

"Probably arguing," Feitan boringly replied.

"Well, aside from that, I mean."

Kuroro looked up at the star-studded sky and then said, "Solving some predicaments, maybe."

"What predicaments?" Machi asked rather suspicious at their leader.

"You'll see," Kuroro said, a smile gracing his handsome face before returning his attention to a book. "Hisoka, Shalnark and I shall take first watch; all of you may take your leave."

"What time shall we relieve you Danchou?" Machi asked.

"By sunrise."

"OK."

"Right, bye guys!" Shalnark waved at the leaving members of the Spiders before sitting on a tree stump and facing Hisoka, his face darkened, somewhat comically. "Now it's just you and me, Hisoka. You and me."

Hisoka giggled, "One on one?"

Shalnark nodded, almost grimly.

"Very well," Hisoka said rather nonchalantly although he kept on licking his lips. "Danchou, don't you want to join?"

"No, thanks."

"OK," Hisoka replied with a quite disappointed frown as he shuffled his cards and dealt them to him and Shalnark.

"I'm gonna win this time," Shalnark declared.

-x-

There was something that he ought to do but he simply quite forgotten about it now. The last thing he remembered was the act of running away from threatening purple flames then something snagged his wrist and someone's weight fell upon him. Then there was this terrible pain in his head as well as on his abdomen before darkness finally engulfed him.

Now, what was it again that he was supposed to do?

"Kuruta!"

Oh. Yeah. He was to avenge his clan from some terrible group that used freaky twelve-legged arachnids as their symbol.

"Oi, wake up!"

He knew that voice. It was not as melodious as the one that he was used to hearing at times like this. This one is huskier, rather harsh and a bit more forceful. The one that he was used to hearing had been deep and rich; not brash.

"Damn kid!"

It does not even use such curse-word for the man that owned the voice was very much more diplomatic – in his own way.

"Damn monster!"

And he could not remember fighting a monster with him…

A cracking sound echoed in his ears. He knew very well that someone's bones cracked and at his current state he was not sure if he should be worried that those could be his bones. He desperately tried to open his eyes but even in the darkness, he knew his vision could have been spinning.

There had been weird sounds - slashing of metal against flesh, some sort of growling and roaring, and finally a loud crashing thud.

A sword.

Samurai.

At that moment, he finally lost control at all of his senses.

-x-

After what seemed to be an eternity, Nobunaga finally managed to drag himself and a sleeping blonde boy that was currently slumped upon his back, inside a cave. Who would have known that this red-eyed kid could be such a handful at the most important time? Fainting during a battle just because of some stupid rock and being sat upon was an act that was so unexpected and so out of character for their supposed to be nemesis: The Chain Guy.

After mumbling and muttering curses and blames to no one in particular, the samurai laid the boy down on the ground of the cave and threw his gathered firewood just a foot away from the sleeping blonde.

'_Great, he's not even useful in helping me with fire and I can only use one hand… Stupid brat!_'

After a few moments, warmth finally engulfed him and he savored it. After such a long day of exterminating overly-large versions of common household pests and surviving the starved residents of the godforsaken jungle, while being tied to an obnoxious avenger-turned-comrade, he was finally able to relax. Just then, he heard sounds from the Kuruta's mouth and rolled his eyes.

"W-what happened?"

"You sure take your sweet time sleeping eh, Kuruta?"

"What happened to the beast?"

"Hn," a huff of indignation escaped from the man's lips. "Killed it of course."

"Oh… did I just…?"

"Yeah, you were pretty useful," the samurai commented sarcastically.

"I-I…"

"What?"

"My head…" Kurapika finally managed. "I think I hit my head…"

"You damn well did! You're bleeding like hell earlier!"

"My Nen must've stopped it already."

"It should! Danchou would kill me if something happens to you! Damn you brat! You can't really evade such a trivial thing as a rock?"

"I lost focus," Kurapika defended himself. "And you're pretty heavy… Anyway, it's not my fault!"

"Hey, don't you dare raise your voice at me! I just saved your freakin' ass from getting roasted and eaten out there!"

"Whatever! I'm not arguing with you!"

"You call this not arguing?"

"Stop pushing it!"

"I'm not pushing anything! I just broke and poisoned my goddamned arm to save you and this is how you repay me?"

Kurapika suddenly stopped, speaking, screaming, thinking and breathing. "You just what?"

Nobunaga's eyes widened and then he turned his face away, "Let's stop this. G-go back to sleep… damn blonde brat…"

There was a moment of awkward silence which Kurapika took as a chance to steal a glance to the samurai's other arm. The said arm, which was currently lying limply and in an odd angle upon the samurai's side, was already turning an evil shade of green.

'_This is what he deserves for taking part in the Kuruta massacre._'

Kurapika inwardly smirked afterwards. But as soon as he turned his head away to face anything but the samurai, something tugged inside him.

He should not feel guilty, should he?

'_This is what he gets for saving me…_'

-x-

'_This is what I get from saving him, that ungrateful son of a bitch!_'

He sighed and winced at the pain that reverberated from his arm after the beast had been quick enough to bite it with ample force as to break the bones inside. '_If I don't use my Nen, I'll die with that stupid poison. Oh well, who knew that the damn dog got lethal fangs? If I use my Nen too much, I would give away our position to probably more powerful beasts… Darn!_'

Just as he was gritting his teeth with annoyance, something cold brushed against his injury and the moment he saw it, it was already too late.

"YOU TRAITOR!" Nobunaga bellowed while struggling with all his strength as the Chain Jail wrapped around his torso and totally immobilized him. "Danchou will get your friends for this!"

"Hold still," Kurapika curtly replied, his eyes blood-red.

"I am never going to submit to your will and die a helpless death!"

"I said, hold still!"

"Once I get my hands on you I'll- Nngh! Mmph!" the samurai's voice was then muffled as the serpentine links wrapped themselves around his head, effectively covering his mouth.

Clenching his fists harder and thinking about this act as something that he will definitely regret later, Kurapika closed his eyes tightly. Somehow, his annoyance at the current situation was so overwhelming that even the stubborn samurai opted to stay silent for a moment.

If it is a duty he ought to do, he would have refused it. However, even the most stubborn man had to be grateful every now and then in his life.

The next moment, the Kuruta summoned his Holy Chain and did the unthinkable.

He just healed Nobunaga.

"Now we're even," the younger one simply uttered, almost inaudibly, as he turned his back against his companion.

'_Did he just-_' Nobunaga asked himself as the chains slowly slithered out of his sight. '_What the hell?_'

-x-

"We're here!" a silver-haired teenage boy announced rather energetically to his companions.

"This?" the eldest and the tallest of the three said, looking flabbergasted.

"Yep this is it!" the youngest of the three males nodded enthusiastically as the hopped towards the silver-headed one.

"Welcome to the Arcarus Port, old man," the Zoldyck-heir said, giving the man a small pat on the back as he walked onwards – side-by-side with his spiky-haired best friend.

"Wow…" the oldest of the three only commented as he observes the busy port surrounding him. Ships of all shapes and sizes abound the dock while on land was a large expanse of sandy beach which ends rather abruptly yet gracefully as the most amazing architectural wonders for buildings line about and filled his sight.

"You mean," Leorio started, feeling a sudden loss for words. "You mean that you…"

"Yep," Gon replied giddily. "We get our Hunter jobs from an office here."

"WOW! You must be earning tons!"

Killua sniffed proudly and waved his hands dismissively, "Nah," he said. "We're still kinda two of the newbies, but… yeah… Yeah, we earn lots."

"So what are WE waiting for?" Leorio asked, his eyes glinting with greed as he rubbed his hands before him in the most creepily-greedy way possible.

"Let's go!" Gon and Killua chorused as they marched onwards, a hungry-looking wolf… erm… Leorio, rather, was trailing behind them.

'_Boy, I'm gonna be really REALLY rich!_'

-x-

It was almost sunrise when they left the cave that the older one of them picked to be their shelter for the night, leaving behind what was left of their meal – if they were tolerant enough to call it one, last night. That was the shell of a crab-looking critter but had been larger, almost the size of a dinner plate, and brightly colored as if it was hand-painted. Both of them decided to share on a single "crab" as they were both not sure if it hides something nasty like poison or may trigger allergic reaction, so they decided upon taking in just a small amount of meat for precaution. Fortunately, none of them seemed to have any problems with the meat somehow and decided that they will increase their serving next time.

However, for now, though the sky was still a fight between light blue and indigo, they already started their hunt for the cards as none of them wanted to end the "game" empty-handed.

"Seen any cards yet?" Nobunaga suddenly asked, breaking the uneasy silence that was surrounding them like some nasty blanket.

"Negative," Kurapika confirmed as he narrowed his eyes and pulled on the bind a little. "Let's go."

"Right."

The two had been walking for some hours now, fortunately, without any attacks from mightier creatures than the usual large versions of roaches, beetles, centipedes and even butterflies. It had been Kurapika's turn to pick the path and he wasted no time to choose the first direction that came to mind. Nobunaga, on the other hand, had some "issues" boiling inside of him. Well, he just ought to since he believes that no man can think clearly after what had happened the night before.

"Kuruta, I think I see something…"

"Where?"

The samurai immediately pointed just a few yards northeast, "There."

"Let's go and check," Kurapika said as he carefully stepped over some slippery moss-covered rocks.

So far, they found nine cards – three for Nobunaga and six for Kurapika. And amazingly, Nobunaga is not ranting or complaining about it. Also, he made no attempt to steal the boy's cards or to forcefully get them from him. Somehow, he knew that he is feeling a lot at ease now for the younger one.

The task, however, was proving to be frustrating if not difficult for Kurapika. At first, he thought that once he gets his hands on even one of the cards, he will be able to find the others a lot easier using his Dowsing Chain. That was the main reason for his suggestion of having their little "truce"; he knew that he could have won with his Dowsing Chain. However, Hisoka seemed to use different decks of cards and only left them the joker cards to hunt down. Of course, Kuroro's knowledge of the Kuruta's Dowsing Chain might have been the cause of all of this. Also, Hisoka made sure that none of his Nen was left on the cards.

"False alarm," Nobunaga announced as he looked at the strange white flower with weirdly patterned black dots that looked very much like a black ace from afar. "So I guess all of them must be jokers."

"They are Hisoka's after all," Kurapika added.

"How many more of these do we need to find? Do you have any idea?" Nobunaga asked as he stared upwards and tried to gauge the time by the color of the sky.

"I'm just as clueless as you are," Kurapika admitted as he turned his head from one direction to another, blue orbs gleaming with focus.

"Maybe most of them got eaten," Nobunaga absentmindedly commented, earning him a wide-eyed response from the Kuruta. "What if the nine we got were the only ones left? The rest got eaten or destroyed?"

The boy pondered silently for a moment.

"What if you win?" Nobunaga said in the most amazingly calm tone that he never knew existed within him. "What will you do to me?"

Kurapika stopped dead on his tracks. The samurai, who then had been leading the way noticed it and halted too.

"Why?"

"Huh?"

"Why are you asking me these things? Isn't it obvious that we only wanted the same for the other?" the younger one spat, albeit almost hesitant.

The samurai took the time to glance at his left arm which bore totally no signs of injury at all. Actually, he could not even think that the night before, his arm was nothing short of a bloody mess with nasty shades of purple and green all over it and the nearly painful sight of his tissues disintegrating before his eyes once he takes his Nen even the slightest level lower when he tried salvaging what was left of them.

With a mental sigh he uttered, almost inaudibly and rather absentmindedly, "Perhaps…" his mind trailed off to nothing in particular before he broke the silence again. "I'm starved."

Kurapika's stomach replied for him.

"Heh, Chain Assassin's still too young to be skipping meals huh?"

"Shut up! And I'm of legal age already!"

"Yeah, yeah… So… I'd like to try a bite on a bear or a huge boar, even the ugly two-headed dog's meat already sounds appealing to me. Mind if we start hunting now?" Nobunaga asked, his mind was not really forming anymore coherent thought other than that.

"Don't you think you're being exceedingly nice to me, samurai?"

"No. I'm just plain hungry and the stupid crab-like thingy last night must have irritated my intestines," the samurai replied, his eyes darting everywhere in search of a possible meal. "It's not poisonous but thinking of it just makes me hungrier."

"Fine, just don't try to eat any of these plants," Kurapika warned him. "Judging by the feel of this place, I bet every leafy thing is poisonous."

"Probably…" Nobunaga said as he took another step and felt something underneath his shoes. "Darn shoes… It always doesn't feel right when I'm not wearing my slippers," he said as he cautiously pulled his leg up to see if there's something underneath the rubber soles. He found none but a squished bug so he angrily stepped at it even more.

"You look totally stupid on that costume so I hold nothing against any piece of your current outfit."

Nobunaga paused and took a moment to examine his countenance. After they had arrived at the more populated areas of Gilleos, he and the rest of the Genei Ryodan that he was with decided dropping off their usual attire and opted for something more common for the eyes of the populace. In short, he wore a simple black and white striped shirt, a dark green jacket over it, faded denim jeans and simple white rubber shoes. However, he still wore his hair in a ponytail, though not in the traditional topknot that he usually prefers.

"So you think your cross-dressing is fashionable?" Nobunaga quipped, an eyebrow raised.

"I do not cross-dress!" Kurapika indignantly retorted.

"Yeah right," Nobunaga smirked as he pushed the subject. "That's rich for someone who kidnapped Danchou wearing some figure-hugging receptionist's dress."

Kurapika flinched and blushed at the memory, "That was necessary…"

"And what do you think you're wearing now?"

"These are NOT women's apparel!"

"Right, and Phinx is a dainty ballerina…"

"Your Danchou bought these… these," he paused, not being able to point himself on an appropriate word so he settled for the most natural one. "…things. He got them when we traveled months ago after ridding me of all the other things I got, save for my tribal outfit."

Nobunaga scrunched up his face with his thought, "Danchou's not trying to make you look like a girl, is he?"

A shocked and white Kurapika met the samurai's response.

"I HOPE THAT HELL HE DOES NOT!"

-x-

Something, or rather, someone caught the devil's attention.

"Hmm?"

"Danchou?" Shalnark asked immediately, concerned when their leader suddenly snapped awake after a peaceful nap.

Kuroro Lucifer inwardly smiled. He knew that the Kuruta must have mentioned him, rather strongly…

"The others are coming, they found an inn last night," Shalnark recited as he focused more on the cards at hand.

Kuroro only made the vaguest sign of acknowledgement before he pulled something from one of his black denim jacket's pockets.

"In a night or two…" he muttered to himself as the green gem gleamed brightly on his pale palm. Just as once, the golden liquid that seemed to swirl inside it formed into a shape that vaguely resembles and arrow and pointed northeast for three complete seconds before dissolving again into lazy swirls inside the gem.

With a satisfied grin to himself he drifted off for his nap again.

-x-

"Found one!" Nobunaga exclaimed triumphantly as they found his fourth card. "There's still hope for me after all…"

The samurai was still about to plaster a bigger smile when he felt the aura of something deadly from a distance. The Kuruta too sensed the same and they nodded to each other to confirm the presence.

In a short span of further concentration, both felt the unknown and deadly presence that suddenly became evident coming closer, both of them then drew out their weapons, fell into a complete Zetsu and stood perfectly still. Nobunaga, who was then the one to choose the path as a small, probably an infant, boar attacked them earlier and ended up as a rather tasty breakfast, turned his head leftwards to signal to the Kuruta what direction they should head off to once they get attacked. Of course, it was also understood that they will head on completely the opposite direction if they were attacked from the direction that they initially opted to run to.

The jungle fell silent for the entire duration of the weird presence before returning back to its lively state – despite the fact that death for humans was almost written all over the place in bright, bold letters. Again, the animals started making their respective sounds and the scurrying insects on the ground scrambled back to what they were doing before the presence rendered them completely motionless.

"What the hell was that?" Nobunaga wondered aloud, though barely enough for his companion to hear.

"I don't know," Kurapika replied just as quietly, his pose was tensed and guarded as his eyes – now luminously red, continued to dart around searching for any sign of a possible threat. '_I don't wanna know…_'

"Wonder why it scared the heck out of these bugs?" Nobunaga asked in almost a whisper as he took notice of the critters that line the forest floor.

"Something really nasty is out here and I feel that we ought to avoid any chance of meeting it," Kurapika declared as he took a hesitant step forward, as if to test if a pool of water is too hot or too cold for his liking.

"Agreed."

-x-

It took them another two hours before they realized that the area changed a lot. The tall trees that served as the jungle's ceiling are now even taller and much darker. The barks are even amazingly green-blue to deep-indigo in color, not brown or dark green with moss as was expected. Also, there is far more raucous cawing on the treetops than they ever heard since they got to the jungle. The small bushes and weeds that littered the forest floor seemed to be gone and replaced by dangerous looking fungi of all shapes, sizes and colors. Even the flowers that surround them are meat-eaters. This, they witnessed and proved for themselves when one card was dislodged on a bright yellow and red flower's center. Since it was Nobunaga who saw it first, he came to approach it but just as he was about to touch the card, the flower literally snapped at him, baring a bloodied set of teeth just below where the card was stuck. It did not take long before the flower snapped again and this time spitting out some green liquid that the samurai had been all too cautious, and now very grateful, to avoid. It turned out that the liquid melted anything to mush and as it threw out the card on its way out, the contact of the liquid with the card immediately disintegrated the object into nothingness.

The samurai angrily considered slicing and dicing the herb down like a common vegetable but Kurapika nearly pulled him back with his chains when the boy noticed that the plant's body was luminous green in color. After closer observation, Nobunaga noticed that the stem of the plant was almost transparent; very light and translucent yellow at most, and it was the green liquid that was supposed to be some sort of acid that flowed all throughout the plant's body which made it appear green.

The Kuruta had been right when he threw a Nen-reinforced rock to test if the blonde's conclusion was true and sure enough, as the rock crushed a part of the leaf that it hit, some of the liquid oozed out and melted the rock while the plant or whatever creature it was, since they had not seen a plant act like that before, lashed angrily and snapped at everything near it. The samurai had been thankful that he aimed at the tip of a leaf and not the body. He was, and still is, highly unsure if the Kuruta's Holy Chain can save him if some amount of that nasty fluid splatters on him.

But what astounded them the most was that every living creature that was now present around them is emitting Nen. The flower-monster-thing emitted rather a stronger aura after it was hurt, which only proved to them that they are not dealing with creatures which cannot control their aura. They are dealing with things that can easily kill a newly licensed Hunter.

Kurapika made a mental note to be extra careful when he realized that.

"Sometimes, I ought to think if Danchou really wanted both of us alive after this!" Nobunaga exclaimed as he stepped back and led the boy back to their chosen path.

"I cannot help but agree with you on that," Kurapika replied with furrowed eyebrows as he braced himself when the now-getting-REALLY-familiar aura of another oversized insect along with the weird crackling sounds of its many legs became too audible for comfort. "Here we go again…" he said as his already summoned chains gleamed with his aura.

True enough, not another second later, an arthropod emerged from the grim-looking foliage and charged at their backs.

The Kuruta and the samurai both followed their original plan from before bounded leftwards; as both found that they were given not even a moment to decide, or rather argue, about which direction to turn to in case an attack takes place.

"I'll go first, brace yourself!" the samurai merely declared but nevertheless, spared a single moment for the blonde to sync his movements with his, then charged with lightning speed. He held his highly Nen-reinforced katana high and was about to deliver the first and final slash to behead the creature when another centipede's head hissed and charged at him from the left.

Fortunately, the blonde saw the other centipede and was quick enough to lash his chains towards it. A sickening crack announced that the chain had hit its mark before wrapping around the creature's head to immobilize it.

Nobunaga then suddenly saw that the other centipede, which was apparently a Reinforcement Nen user, lunge towards the blonde, its speed and strength visibly diminished. It took him another moment to register the meaning of the situation and by then, the blonde just had a hard time dodging the attack when the younger took not breaking the samurai's arm into consideration.

The older one practically scrambled out of the way, though still perfectly matching the Kuruta's movement so as to keep their bound wrists uninjured, when another attack ensued. The samurai then waited for the boy to leap upwards to dodge an attack and when the moving centipede tried to follow him, he pulled at his right arm to get the blonde out of the way before delivering his unexecuted attack earlier. The centipede's head fell on the ground while the body writhed violently. The other centipede, on the other hand, seemed to hiss a high-pitched cry of pain before Kurapika pulled his chains tighter while Nobunaga slashed its head off too.

Both were determined to prove their assumption and as they walked together towards the vegetation that hid the rest of the centipedes' bodies from view, their guesses were proven correct: the two centipedes were a single creature with five heads. Two of them looked as if they were still freshly cut off while the final missing head seems to be almost healed and ready to grow back again until the samurai and the boy totally extinguished its existence. They were about twenty-feet long each before being joined together in a single body which was about three feet wide and was about sixty-five to seventy feet long. Also, they took notice of the huge gashes on the body of the creature which were still surprisingly fresh. The largest were four deep cuts, each were about four feet long while numerous shorter and shallower ones abound the tough body but most of them were only superficial cuts; not deep enough to penetrate the animal's tough exoskeleton. Also, although very long, the centipede was obviously missing a few segments on its farther end.

Noticing the number of missing body parts – heads and legs included, and the huge amount of land area destroyed by the writhing of the creature long before they stumbled upon its presence, the two concluded that the creature must have barely survived its last fight before it finally met its end on their hands. But no matter how grateful they were that the centipede's attacker was able to make it easier for them to slay, and not get eaten by the creature, it bothers them that something in the forest was powerful enough to do such damage.

"Looks like something tried to eat it," Nobunaga stated while staring at the missing segments on the tail end of the monster.

"And quite succeeded," Kurapika replied, leading the man towards the creature's missing tail. "This creature must have gotten away while being chewed; judging by the way the flesh and the exoskeleton had been torn."

"You reckon the weird aura we sensed earlier?"

"Yeah."

"Could be it, no?"

Kurapika nodded once and looked intensely at his companions eyes. "Then we should really be careful."

The samurai only sniffed and blinked with affirmation before speaking out again, "Wonder how the clown managed to run around here…"

"Judging by the number of challenges in here, he must have even enjoyed his stay!" Kurapika replied, looking slightly disgusted. "I remember how strangely he smelled yesterday."

"Well, he's not Genei Ryodan's deranged jester for nothing."

After a few more minutes of walking, the younger one had noticed how the samurai's hostility towards him had drastically diminished in such a short span of time. Well, judging by the "peace" that was hovering around the two of them right now, he cannot sense the same loathing that the other held against him anymore. Although there had been little bickering every now and then, it felt more as if Nobunaga was just another Leorio; someone to argue with and rely upon at the same time.

'_You seriously do not consider him as a friend, Kurapika!_' his inner self voiced out, rather panicked. '_And don't you dare compare him to Leorio!_'

He sighed.

'_I must be getting crazy…_'

Nobunaga raised his eyebrow at the sudden change in the boy's disposition and asked, "Anything wrong?"

Noticing the lack of enmity and the slightest presence of concern, Kurapika revised his last thought, '_…crazier._'

-x-

After some more hours of endless encounters with a huge variety of bizarre creatures – most of them if not gigantic were many-headed or just plain freaks of nature, the two decided to take a short break and give themselves time to recover some strength. After all, they were still slightly bothered about the five-headed centipede and the thing that attacked it.

Nobunaga drew a menacing knife from its sheath, which was tucked on the samurai's back and was completely hidden from view because of his shirt and jacket, and sliced the roasted meat of a small mammal – if it really was one, before tossing it towards the huge leaf at the boy's lap. Kurapika, who was then staring intently at the fire as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world, almost did not notice the movement until the meat landed.

He was about to ask what the meat was for when the samurai ordered, "Eat."

His left eye twitched but said nothing more as he nibbled at the end of the meat, finding that it tastes fine. A few moments later, he caught sight of three more slices being thrown his way and caught them on time. He nodded with appreciation as he placed the meat slices on the leaf that serves as his plate. He nodded for he could not voice his thoughts since the samurai may ridicule him for it.

"So, what are your plans now?" Nobunaga suddenly asked. "You're a Spider now, as much as you hate us, you cannot do anything about it and neither can you kill nor hurt any of us lest your friends will die. What do you plan to do then?"

Kurapika left his mouth opening and closing for a few moments as he stared with confusion and disbelief to the older man.

"I mean, even if you wanted to kill yourself for this, it seems pretty obvious that Danchou wouldn't let you."

"W-what?" Kurapika finally managed the most intelligent reply he can think of at the moment. "I… you're… What do you mean?"

Nobunaga sighed, his unbelievably long patience for the boy was surprising him, "I am asking about your revenge."

"Oh… that…"

The samurai blinked while the boy sighed before replying, "I… I don't know… I don't know anymore…"

Nobunaga stared at the younger one's eyes which were half-lidded with the obvious sudden upsurge of memories of pain and love and longing for his fallen tribesmen, and staring blankly at the blazing fire in front of them. The boy's eyes seemed red; however, he was not very sure if it was because of anger or because of the redness of the flames. As if hypnotized, he too shifted his glace from the Kuruta and into the fire.

Blood-red flames seem to rise up even more before him and as if synchronizing his thoughts with his companion, he was brought back to the day of the Kuruta massacre. He vaguely remembered a few details – on how everything went and what happened afterwards. There were fewer missions after that. It seems that after the eyes had been sold, their leader had been quite satisfied that he called for only a handful of missions before the York Shin Auction. Those were almost six years apart – the Kuruta massacre and the York Shin incident. And the York Shin incident happened almost two years ago. He made a mental calculation and estimated everything to be seven to eight years in the making. Now if their research before had been accurate, then the boy beside him could only be a barely of legal age.

Nobunaga snorted and smirked, '_He's just a kid._'

"What are you laughing at?"

'_…one hell headache of a kid._'

"Hn!" Kurapika merely huffed. "After all of these, I'll still get everyone of you…"

"Not a chance," Nobunaga remarked. He was rewarded by a red-eyed death-glare before the younger one decided that it is a fruitless pursuit to battle like that. Nobunaga, on the other hand, took the chance to study the boy's countenance.

'_There's no way this kid's the Chain Assassin… He might have outwitted Paku but there's no way he could've killed Uvo._'

-x-

By afternoon, the two continued on their journey, far quieter and more awkward than before. No one could have guessed that in such a few hours, their relationship had already transformed – from enemies to "friends" which is something highly complicated for the two of them. Kurapika even wondered if this connection is as weird as the one he got with Kuroro. Well, his and Kuroro's connection far "out-weirds" everything comprehendible for human thought while this one is just too similar with the one he has with Leorio than comfortable that he feels almost a hundred percent positive that this will really turn out to be exactly like one. Oh well, another "Leorio-figure" will not hurt. It is just too disturbing that it was too fast-paced and he was only dead-sure that Kuroro was the one behind all of it. Right now, he was more than a hundred percent certain that Kuroro planned this duel to get them together and hopefully dissolve the animosity between them. There is just one element missing to perfect the bond that Kuroro Lucifer wished to develop between him and the samurai. And if his assumptions are correct, then they only have to survive one more foe…

"Which way do you want to go?" Nobunaga asked, snagging the boy back to reality.

"Uh… North?"

Without another word, the samurai lead the way and walked north. In a few minutes, they have reached a rocky part of the jungle. True enough, just a few meters farther, a crystal-clear river came into view. A few more moments later, they saw a small secluded lagoon – walled by moss-covered rocks and curtained by flowering plants on the only visible opening. Seeing that the water was clear as crystal and only knee-deep at that part, they knew that taking a short dip would be relatively safe. And judging by the depth, one may find it easier to just sit down to wash himself.

And only a single thought came to both of their minds.

"Your turn," Nobunaga immediately proposed before the younger one can even protest. "I'll take first watch."

Slightly unbelieving but relieved, Kurapika raced towards the only pure-looking sanctuary inside the Serrega Jungle. But there is only one big problem…

"Argh!" Kurapika let out a frustrated cry. "I'll kill that clown and that devil!" he said as he angrily tugged at the bind between his and Nobunaga's wrists.

"Hey watch it!" Nobunaga warned as he tugged back with more force. They boy, which was obviously physically inferior, was dragged towards the samurai.

"Ow!" the Kuruta exclaimed, albeit quietly and almost to himself, massaging his wrist afterwards.

"You're dragging me earlier!" Nobunaga impatiently retorted. "Anyway, there's not much of a problem. You're overreacting."

"I'm not going there with you!"

"What, do you think I'll molest you?" Nobunaga screamed indignantly. "Like hell I would!"

"I did not accuse you of anything!"

"We're not resolving anything if we keep on arguing and I like that bath as much as you do! And what the heck's wrong with taking a bath like that? It's not like we have very different body parts!"

"It's about modesty numbskull!" Kurapika angrily huffed as he spoke. "I am sorry but I do not abide by your culture of parading my birthday suit in front of anyone," he added sarcastically.

Nobunaga's eyebrow twitched as his patience ran thin, "Then think of something smarty-pants!"

"Fine, give me a minute," Kurapika finally said when he was calm enough.

Of course, the two argued a lot more for a few more minutes until they came to a conclusion that they both wanted to take a much needed bath and they are willing to do anything for it.

"There's a curtain," Kurapika started as soon as the idea hit him. "If one of us will be on one side and one in the other, it will somehow work out."

Nobunaga looked at the curtain and agreed. "OK, since you're the _modest_ one, take the inside part. I'll bathe outside."

Kurapika turned his face towards him with wide and unbelieving eyes.

"What?" Nobunaga asked rather flustered; he was taken aback with the face the boy was giving him. "What are y-you waiting for? Let's go!"

The Kuruta came back to his senses and let himself be dragged by the man. The next thing he knew, he was smirking.

'_Yeah… so much like Leorio indeed._'

-x-

"You lose again Phinx," Feitan sneered.

"Quiet down shorty!" Phinx replied as he shuffled the cards again.

It was already noon and the second group – Phinx, Feitan, and Bonorenof, was already taking the watch on their Danchou's instructed area. It was not the one where their leader had gathered them the day before as the intelligent man deemed that no matter what, the two will never return to the starting point. If they will be caught in a predicament, it is highly probable that they meet such situation near the border of the Serrega Jungle's most dangerous area – their little game's finish line.

"I wonder how the kid and Nobu's getting along…" Phinx thought out loud.

"That's the fifty-second time that you mentioned it today Phinx," Feitan remarked, still smirking. "You sound like the brat's smothering mother!"

"Heh! I'm just curious," Phinx defended. "What do you think, Bono?"

Bonorenof merely shrugged, stating his cluelessness in the issue. However, Phinx was not very happy with the mummy-man's reply.

"Aren't anyone of you even wondering if Nobu had killed pretty-boy yet?" he asked rather dramatically.

"No, and we don't give a damn," Feitan said nonchalantly. "Why don't you stop snooping on things and focus on your hand?"

Phinx muttered some unintelligible things before grumbling something about his bet.

-x-

"You're still alive there?" Nobunaga asked impatiently. "Hey!"

When the boy did not reply, the samurai tugged the bind on their wrists, "Kuruta?"

"Wait! I'm still putting my clothes on!"

"Oh," the samurai replied. "OK. Hurry up."

The next moment, the Kuruta emerged from the curtain of blooms. He was still wearing the same pants rolled up to his knees to keep it from getting wet; however, he had changed his shirt with the spare that he brought along. Nobunaga was in the same state.

"Dirty laundry," Nobunaga merely stated as he handed the Kuruta his clothes which were bundled together, with his shirt from earlier wrapping them completely.

Kurapika took the dirty laundry and stuffed it inside their bag, along with his own dirty clothes which were neatly folded inside, before sliding the strap back to his shoulder to carry. Who would have known that Kuroro Lucifer's evil trick was so well-planned he even gave them spare clothes? And who would have thought that the young Kuruta was the one carrying their things for a while now?

Well, both of them realized that just a few moments before they took their respective baths when the samurai realized that he does not have any spare clothes. Kurapika then rummaged inside his bag to see of he also forgot his clothes when he noticed the unfamiliar shirt and underwear stuffed on the largest pockets in the inside of the bag. Unconsciously, he took out the materials and Nobunaga immediately recognized that it was his size and was elated to know that his bath had not been ruined.

As they reached the dry land, both of them started unrolling their pants and putting on their socks and shoes which they left on the riverbank before they walked towards the river.

They walked silently, not minding the other until the ground shook angrily beneath them. Instantly, both had become extremely wary of their surroundings and sure enough, before anyone of them noticed, the ground shook even more violently. Kurapika only had time to shout something before the samurai grabbed him by the waist and broke into a frantic run.

"WHAT ARE YOU-"

"We're not heading that direction! EVER!"

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

"Just quiet down!" Nobunaga bellowed as he continued his Nen-induced running-for-his-life… and the Kuruta's for that matter. "Didn't you feel that?"

"… Huh?"

Nobunaga rolled his eyes but never paused in his pace. "I used En and something big and powerful is driving the critters on this forest to a stampede. I'm just getting us out of the way," he explained as he zigzagged through the trees.

"That's the creature that ate our centipede," Kurapika commented.

"Probably… so why don't we just head out of this godforsaken place, like now!"

"What about the cards?"

"Who the hell cares about those freakin' things? I'm not getting myself killed because of those!"

Kurapika gritted his teeth as the samurai continued to carry him off like he is simply some weak and useless boy. "I can handle myself!"

"No way, you're not slowing us down!" Nobunaga spat as he sped even more.

"I'm not gonna– FIREBALL!"

"Wha-?" Nobunaga was about to ask for clarification when a huge and angry-looking fireball barely missed his shoulder that was not occupied by the Kuruta. "NOT AGAIN!"

"Turn RIGHT!"

Too busy to pay any attention to evade the Zetsu-cloaked fireballs while he was busy heading off to somewhere safe, Nobunaga obediently complied with the blonde's screeches.

"Incoming! Seven o'clock!" Kurapika practically screamed.

Nobunaga, who felt as if he was a soldier obeying his captain in some sort of twisted war, merely hopped over a four feet tall rock that was blocking the way, while evading the flaming projectile from the mentioned direction. He then saw the fireball hitting a tree and devouring it with seething red flames.

There was no time to waste in appraising their surroundings as both noticed that they were caught in a stampede. Actually, it seems that they were the ones in front of it – heading the stampede. All other creatures that were not running along with them were going through great lengths to evade them or to scramble away from the stampede altogether.

Soon enough, as Nobunaga continued following orders from the Kuruta who was his eyes from behind, he find himself evading more and more fireballs and stepping over more and more dead or scorched creatures. Whatever that had been chasing them seemed to be dead serious into having them for dinner. And the other critters were getting overly paranoid, and not to mention slaughtered, over it.

"Are we just caught in this or are we the main target?" Nobunaga asked loudly for his companion to hear. He had continued to carry the Kuruta like he was some powerless damsel.

"I can only hope that we're just caught in this!" Kurapika shouted back as he carefully looked out for more attempts from their invisible opponent to roast them.

In a few seconds, a set of fireballs streamed their way. Kurapika was strongly reminded of his and Kuroro's battle with the "man in white", except that this time the bubbles are small fireballs that burned everything in a single touch. What scares him more was that right now he is fully dependent upon a certain samurai's speed, agility and stamina.

"NOBUNAGA! Four o'clock! On your legs!"

Nobunaga practically sped towards his left and jumped as he held the Kuruta tight against him. He deftly landed a good twenty meters ahead of them and left a good two-inch dent with his feet on the ground. He hurriedly hopped off again before breaking into a more conventional and energy-saving run. All the time, he was holding on to the Kuruta as if his life depended on it.

Kurapika quietly submitted and restrained himself from shouting to the man who had done so much to keep him from breaking his arm and getting scorched.

Finally, after almost two hours straight of running nonstop, Kurapika deemed that it was already safe enough for them to rest as the creature that had been spitting fireballs had stopped doing so, more than a quarter of an hour ago. Also, they were too far off from the angry scuttling of animals from all over and he deemed that as a good sign that they were somewhere far from the action.

"You can rest now…" Kurapika silently spoke, biting his lip with the awkwardness that loomed above them.

Nobunaga slowed down from his frantic run and carefully dropped his companion beside him. The bind did no good on them and had been so much of a burden as it restricts their distance and also their movements. The samurai, being too careful not to break the younger one's wrist nearly broke his own. Without Gyo, his wrist had swelled so much on the part where the Pansy Gum had wrapped around it like a common shackle. The blonde quickly noticed this and was overridden again with guilt.

"Your hand needs some mending," Kurapika quietly proposed. The samurai sighed and swallowed his pride as he held his wrist high for the Kuruta to heal with his Holy Chain.

Nobunaga visibly flinched at the sudden contact of the boy's Nen but soon enough, he felt his wrist as if it was good as new for the second time; the first was after their encounter with the two-headed dog.

He tugged slightly at the boy to prompt him that he is about to sit down to rest his legs. Then as Kurapika acknowledged it, he plopped at the ground and rested his back on the huge stump. It seems that even though the boy was incredibly light, a two-hour Nen-induced flight for their lives had taken its toll on the samurai. He fell asleep shortly after and the blonde boy sighed as he watched out for the two of them.

An hour and a half later, Nobunaga found himself waking up from a nap.

"W-wha?" he mumbled, alerting the blonde beside him that he was already awake.

"You OK now?" Kurapika asked quietly.

"Uh… yeah, I think so."

"Good. Let's move now?" the boy said but it ended as a question as he assessed the samurai's condition if he was already well-rested to journey off the forest again.

"Thanks…" Nobunaga barely mumbled as he twisted and turned his wrist as if to check if it is working perfectly after stretching and yawning.

"No problem," Kurapika mumbled just as awkwardly.

They spent the night that way, occasionally conversing about mundane things and the next thing they knew, it was already morning. None of the two commented and they were feeling optimistic that the chase from last afternoon would not occur again so they went back into hunting Hisoka's cards. However, they continued to be extra alert just in case.

Soon enough, the few moments that followed, which had been filled with the suffocating awkward atmosphere, simply had to be ruined by a demonic growl from deep within the forest. At that time, the trees had been stripped off of its inhabitants as all of them flew away to the safety of the heavens or scampered on the forest grounds disoriented and nearly suicidal. Another stampede became audible, and soon, they were once again caught in it.

Whatever that thing that angrily growled at no one in particular was, the two deeply believed that it was just about time that they run off yet again. Unfortunately, they had totally no synchronization when it comes into taking quicker steps during a run and they nearly tripped over each other. It was then that Nobunaga caught the boy again in a single scoop and hurled him on his right shoulder before taking off. Kurapika, who had already realized the advantages of their current course of action, only concentrated upon using Gyo and searching for the creature's Nen imprints behind them.

Kurapika's eyes instantly turned scarlet as an incredibly huge spider made itself visible through the foliage. Its head alone was huge as an entire house and Kurapika did not fail to notice the extra amount of legs that it got compared to a normal spider. It has twelve legs instead of eight.

"Spider…" he silently uttered, his eyes losing all of its focus and turning a frightening shade of crimson. "Genei Ryodan…"

Nobunaga, who then sensed the unstable change of the boy's aura glanced over his shoulder and exclaimed a really loud and rather obscene word before realizing the state that the Kuruta was in.

"OI! Get a grip of yourself!" he screamed as he continued to run. "We'll be dead if you continue to stare off to space like that!"

"…I'll kill…" Kurapika only muttered incoherent words and phrases to himself as visions of the past and his nightmares unfolded on his mind's eye, replaying the most horrid scenes of his life, one after the other; each of them bloodier and a lot more gruesome than the last.

Nobunaga found no other choice. He made a swift turn to his left and hopped on the largest and sturdiest tree branch that he could see. He then hoisted the boy down and shook him back to his senses.

"Kuruta!"

The word only brought back the peaceful image of his tribe, a few hours before the massacre. His grandmother was sweeping their yard while singing their folksongs with more vigor than necessary. His grandfather was tending a newborn calf as he petted the other animals, while humming through his cigar. His sweet mother had just finished hanging their clean laundry, and was occasionally singing with his grandmother. Finally, his father had just got home from his daily training of the youngsters, and was calling his name. He remembered hopping off his small handcrafted study table and rushing outside towards him, jumping and clinging on his father's neck, kissing his cheeks a few times and begging him to tell him the tales of his previous class.

His father promised to comply later. Upon reaching their humble home and affectionately ruffling his hair, he vaguely remembered his beloved father asking if he had been a good child. His toothy grin and overly enthusiastic nod earned him another ruffling of hair before his mother insisted that pats on the head would be a more appropriate gesture as the ruffling had effectively ruined his hair. There was an amused chuckle from his father when someone screamed outside and—

"KURAPIKA!" the samurai bellowed, snagging him back to the present.

He realized the predicament that they were in and his red eyes focused on the face that was dangerously close to his. His right eye twitched and he landed a punch on the invader of his personal bubble.

"WHAT THE—!"

Fortunately, whatever curse-word that the samurai had so reasonably chosen to spit out at him had been drowned by another earthshaking roar from the gigantic arachnid.

"…I didn't mean to!" he blabbered immediately as the samurai growled on his own and scooped him again to continue their flight.

"I think you broke my jaw!"

"I-I spaced out…"

"Yeah, it's a huge twelve-legged spider, you're ought to space out. So shut up and focus on covering our backs! That thing's spitting fire and I don't want my ass to get roasted!"

Kurapika merely pouted at the vulgar term but complied nonetheless, using his Gyo yet again. He had calmed enough to see the larger-than-life version of the group that he hated most, without losing himself and dragging the samurai with him to face it.

"I think it's really after us!" Kurapika declared as he summoned his chain and whipped at everything behind them to block the spider's path.

"What? No offence, but I think we're not really that juicy looking!"

"No, I think it's after our Nen."

"—the HELL!"

"Fireballs! Turn right!"

Nobunaga's unsheathed katana then got into action as he sliced their way through a thick trunk which was blocking their escape. His peripheral vision then saw a huge mammal that emerged from his left side getting hit and scorched on the spot. "What's with these things and fire?" he merely complained as he sped forward.

"Maybe because the jungle is damp and cold," Kurapika only grunted his response as he continued on whipping tree after tree to break their bodies and hopefully block the seemingly hungry arachnid.

The single moment of distraction was enough as the Kuruta's chain got caught in a sticky, web-like stream that was spit out by the said arachnid from its mouth. Fortunately, Kurapika only needed to immaterialize his chains and was already free even before the samurai could notice.

"It can shoot something sticky from its mouth, be careful!" Kurapika warned as he materialized his chains again and continued on blocking the spider's view with fallen tree trunks. True enough, most of the creature's attacks were caught by Kurapika's traps and Nobunaga only had to evade those that were too troublesome to get through.

"On your left!" Kurapika shouted and Nobunaga promptly hopped forward and then rightwards to evade the fireball. He was about to break into a faster run when something hit his back and he was held into place. Kurapika, who was then still using Gyo noticed the sticky substance that was fortified with Nen on Nobunaga's back immediately hopped off his shoulder and ordered, "Tear off your jacket now!"

The samurai, noticing the danger he was on, realized that slashing the web off would be a faster move so he executed the action. But not even a second later, after he had freed himself off the sticky substance, he felt the next bout of attacks.

Kurapika managed to lash his chains on all of the fireballs, effectively throwing them on other directions and extinguishing some of them. Nobunaga also managed to match the blonde's actions so as not to inconvenience him as he fends off the first attacks.

It was not too later when the huge spider caught up with them and faced them with its six crimson eyes and twelve legs. There was a single moment when the two parties sized up each other before the spider decided to attack first by spitting more fireballs from its well-fanged mouth.

Kurapika slacked on the bind, announcing for Nobunaga to take lead. The samurai did not even hesitate as it nodded and sprang towards the hairy arachnid, dodging all the flames, hoping to end the battle in a single slash. Unfortunately, the spider lowered its head and started spitting with the web-like substance through its tail this time, towards him. Nobunaga was only too shocked when the Kuruta sidestepped to close the distance between them and grabbed his bound arm before pushing him out of the way by throwing himself against the samurai's torso. They fell and rolled a few times before they gained enough composure to stand together and leap to a safer position.

The spider was distracted with all the motion but its eyes remained at the two until it decided to roast them again. Kurapika tugged at the bind and used his chains to whip sharply on the spider's head. The chain successfully made contact but the force was not enough; the spider obtained only a minor wound and got angrier. It raised its first four legs and roared angrily as it shook its belly and spit a huge fireball at them.

Nobunaga was quick enough to step forward – between the creature and the Kuruta, and use his En for the attack. The next moment, the fireball was sliced in half and Kurapika was carried away again by Nobunaga even before the spider was able to take in what had really happened.

"Next time, use more force!" Nobunaga advised as he started his insane run again. "That thing's even harder than Uvo's skull!"

Kurapika was about to retort when he noticed the Spider gaining speed on them. He could only command the samurai, "Hurry!"

The samurai looked behind him and saw the huge legs of the spider taking amazingly quick and enormous strides behind them. "We got no choice," Nobunaga announced grimly.

Kurapika's eyes turned scarlet as he replied with affirmation. "Right… Put me down then."

The samurai complied and let go of the Kuruta. The boy summoned his chains again and fed them with his Nen.

Nobunaga smirked with admiration as the boy's chains rattled with impatience and bloodlust. "Hold it for me, will ya?"

The boy nodded.

'_Right, gotta see what this kid's real side is._'

-x-

Shizuku, Franklin, Coltopi and Machi dropped their stares from their cards and stared off the distance. They heard a menacing roar that could have rivaled or even beaten Uvogin's best battle cry. Machi could only dial their Danchou's number on her phone to inform him.

"Yes Machi?" the voice from the other line answered.

"We heard a roar," Machi said emotionlessly. "Should we go in and check things out?"

"No, everything's fine," their Danchou replied. "It had started…"

"OK," Machi only answered as she waited for a few moments if their leader got something in his mind. Hearing no more reply, she bid him goodbye and stared at the source of the roar – the heart of Serrega Jungle.

With a huge sigh, she got back to the cards.

-x-

So far, everything is still under control. The two of them had managed to evade all of the creature's attacks even with the difficulty of being bound together. Kurapika had managed to inflict more wounds upon the spider's body, while Nobunaga was able to severe three of its legs. The creature was so infuriated now and was starting to go berserk with its attacks.

Both, due to the creature's huge size and strength, kept on backing away whenever the arachnid changes its tactics to melee and soon, they found themselves a few meters away from a huge crack in the middle of the jungle. Crack was not so deep, one can clearly see the bottom and it is nothing but molten lava. There was no doubt that they noticed the sudden change of temperature in their surroundings as they neared the area.

"Do you think we can hurl it over the lava?" Nobunaga asked as he deflected a blow from the creature's sharp legs, with his katana.

"I think so," Kurapika replied, mulling over the plan as he matched the samurai's movements and whipped the spider here and there whenever he gets the chance.

"You gotta bind it though," Nobunaga added.

"OK, just tell me when you're ready."

"Uh… Now?"

"Now?"

"Yeah."

Kurapika swallowed hard before voicing his roughly made plan. "I'll take the lead but try to remove as much of its legs as possible," he said, the initial fear and uncertainty had drowned beneath the sudden surge of adrenaline. "I'll lure it to the crack before hurling it in."

The older man nodded as he took a step backwards, evading a sudden slash from one of the monster's remaining powerful front legs while holding back another leg with his blade as it pushed towards him. Another leg then aimed for an opening in his defense and was about to stab him from his left rib when serpentine chains whipped just past him to strike the attacking leg.

Nobunaga appreciated the help and twisted his body counterclockwise while extending his right arm to give the Kuruta the distance he needed as he lunged towards the gigantic arachnid. The boy gladly took the offer and extended his left arm as well to further his reach as he swung his chains towards the spider. The attack was almost successful but the spider was able to anticipate the attack and was about to meet the Kuruta with angry blazing fireballs. The boy managed to evade the fireballs, however, he seem to be not that agile to evade the incoming stab.

The samurai's eyes widened with surprise so with gritted teeth he tugged hard against their bind. The Kuruta was only too shocked when he crashed face-first to the samurai's chest. The samurai then turned around to shield them both from the incoming attack and the boy was about to retort that he does not need to be protected like a weakling when the older man's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets and his teeth almost broke with the force of gritting hard.

Being too close with the man's chest, Kurapika felt the other's heart stop for a few moments, skip a few beats, before continuing with almost triple the speed. That was the moment when he realized that there was something huge, sticking out of the samurai's right shoulder.

The clawed leg disappeared as the spider retracted it and backed away, before shaking its belly. Kurapika took that as a cue to start getting out of the way so he clutched the other's clothes tighter and although visibly in so much pain, the man got the message and allowed the boy to lead him away.

The samurai's breaths were coming out in labored gasps and the Kuruta only noticed that his companion would not last long in this battle. Shortly, the samurai almost dropped to the ground but was able to support himself with his katana, his vision blurry and his consciousness was slipping out of him.

"Nobunaga, hold on," Kurapika called out rather worriedly as he braced beside the man and deflected the spider's legs with his chains. Obviously, he will only get eaten with the enormous creature if his companion dies right there. However, he could not focus well enough to use his Holy Chain when he is already too busy getting rid of nine menacing legs and preventing fire and web attacks.

Nobunaga focused his Nen on his shoulder wound. Being a Reinforcement type, his regenerative properties were to be envied for. However, he could only hold the bleeding and regain as much cells as possible in only a specific amount of time and when he had enough Nen, energy and focus to match. Right now, focus was his main problem.

"Try to focus on your injury. I'll hold this thing as much as I can!" Kurapika spoke as he continued fighting off the spider's legs.

Nobunaga then focused his Kou on the wound to encase it as he focused the flow of his Nen there, trusting the Kuruta enough to keep them alive if even for a few minutes.

A few minutes passed and the spider was not getting happier. It wants to eat and it wants to eat now. Fortunately, as it prepared to spit fire, Kurapika shot one swift glance to the samurai and with a nod, both of them leapt out of the fireballs' way. Wincing at the pain on his shoulder, the samurai only gripped his katana tight and projected his determination to the Kuruta.

The next moment, six angry eyes found two amazingly swift figures leaping towards it. Another angry roar filled the Serrega Jungle before the spider lunged forward to take the two smaller creatures head on.

There was a brief moment of confusion and getting used to, as Nobunaga and Kurapika took turns into launching their attacks and defending their partner from the spider. It almost lasted for an entire minute for the samurai to get used to the boy's amazing agility and for the Kuruta to familiarize himself with the samurai's peculiar way of getting wildly brash into dealing with his attacks.

As the two became deadly synchronized with their movements, the spider was starting to rethink its choice of prey. It did not take long when the samurai finally found an opening – thanks to the Kuruta's idea of binding a few of its legs together with his chains. As much as both of them wanted to, they cannot force the creature into Zetsu. The spider does not have a crime since it only kills for survival and of course, there are no crimes within the realm of nature; only within the kingdom of man. Therefore, Nobunaga opted to deal with their attacks while the Kuruta fortified their defense.

"Hold it!" Nobunaga bellowed as he prepared his katana for its final blow.

Kurapika took the notice and held his chains tighter as he slacked his left arm to give the samurai the needed extension.

Nobunaga then took his chance and lunged forward, giving most of his remaining Nen on his katana, and delivered his fatal slash. The blade connected to the creature's armored head, a diagonal slash became visible but the spider gave a final roar before giving all of its remaining energy to charge at its two offenders. It missed Nobunaga, who managed to dodge but hit Kurapika who was behind the samurai. Taken with shock, the Kuruta accidentally lost control of his chains, which immaterialized at that moment and the four remaining legs of the spider brushed roughly between their bind, effectively cutting it off with its Nen-induced claws. Nobunaga was too shocked and yet too happy to be freed until he saw the Kuruta being carried off by the half-dead body of the spider towards the edge of the crack.

"KURAPIKA!" the samurai screamed in terror. He did not wait another moment before sprinting towards the boy.

Kurapika, on the other hand, can barely think but he immediately forced his body to recover from shock and come into focus. He barely heard the samurai's shout when he forced himself to shift into Emperor Time and use his strength as a Reinforcement type. However, he was a wee bit too late and before he knew it, he was nearing to fall off the cliff towards the molten lava with the spider attached to him through its web.

He grabbed the nearest thing he saw before he realized that it was a hand.

"DON'T LET GO!" the samurai shouted as he gripped the boy's arm tight with his left hand; his right shoulder had started to bleed again and it is getting too painful even with the excessive use of Nen upon it.

"LET GO!" Kurapika shouted back as he felt his arm slipping from the man's grasp.

"NO! DANCHOU WILL KILL ME!"

"THEN TELL HIM YOU DID EVERYTHING! LET GO OR YOU'LL DIE WITH ME!"

"DON'T BE A BRAT!"

"DON'T BE AN IDIOT!"

The samurai snarled loudly at him before trying to pull him back. Unfortunately, the weight of the spider was too much even for a decent Reinforcement user. And Nobunaga right now is only a decent yet injured Reinforcement Nen user.

"IT'S TOO HEAVY!" Nobunaga screamed, trying his best not to get pulled into the crack also.

"Then let go…" Kurapika muttered almost inaudibly.

"SHUT UP!" Nobunaga replied angrily. He is definitely not going to let this kid die. He felt somewhat indebted to him…

He opened his eyes a little through the strain of the weight and saw that the spider was only attached to the boy through his clothes which amazingly held even though the stitches are almost giving way now. He got an idea. "Don't move! I'll tear off your shirt!"

"No way, you're not!"

An angry growl escaped from the samurai's mouth, "NO ONE CARES ABOUT MODESTY AT A TIME LIKE THIS!"

Kurapika gave out one wide-eyed look before the samurai reached out with his injured arm which was holding the katana, to cut off a piece of the shirt. Hopefully, the spider is heavy enough as to pull the piece off with its weight.

As he expected, the whole region of the shirt gave way and the spider growled its final deafening roar before angry earthen flames devoured it. He then carefully retracted the Kuruta from the cliff and pulled him on a safe distance away from the crack. Both of them were stuck in a conversation of inhales and exhales until the boy was the first one to recover, "Thanks…"

"Don't mention it," Nobunaga replied as he closed his eyes and let his body relax after so much tension. He opened one of his eyes to check the Kuruta beside him. But he could only take the last moments before the Kuruta had already fully covered his torso with his arms and the remaining pieces of his shirt and undershirt.

As he came to realization, the samurai's eyes widened with surprise and he only managed to let out a strangled cry before he crawled backwards with amazing speed that seem to be the result of forgetting about his injury. "W-w-whaaa! WAAA!"

Kurapika hissed at him.

The samurai's eyes twitched at his companion and it was not long before he really considered fainting. However, blood-red eyes glared at him, full of warning.

"Not a word to anyone…" the Chain Assassin ordered as the aura of the deadly person the whole Genei Ryodan expected and dreaded of him unleashed itself in front of the samurai.

Nobunaga could only swallow and nod.

Kurapika stared for a few more moments before breaking the eerie eye contact and sighing loudly. "I lost our bag…"

The samurai's eye stopped twitching and realized the blonde's predicament. "Uh…" he managed to reply rather intelligently. He was continuously opening and closing his mouth like a drowning goldfish as he tries to recover from sheer shock and near insanity, until an idea came into his mind. He blinked a few more times before he took off his jacket and handed it to the Kuruta.

"Modesty, right?" the samurai said, slightly smirking.

Kurapika hesitated to take the item but complied as the samurai managed a weak smile towards him, as if to encourage him or to take a pledge of secrecy. "Thank you," Kurapika said again, as he grabbed the jacket and quickly pulled it over his head and zipping it closed.

Nobunaga mentally smirked, '_Definitely not the devil…_'

-x-

"So," Nobunaga said, breaking the silence that surrounded them as they made their way out of the forest towards the finish line. "I guess you won," he remarked while looking over his previously injured shoulder which was now healed by the Kuruta.

Kurapika pulled out the six cards from his jeans' pocket and looked at them carefully.

"Mind telling me what kind of torture I am about to undergo in your ha—"

"Here," Kurapika cut him off and shoved a card to his hand.

"Eh?" Nobunaga unbelievingly said as the boy sped forwards through Nen-induced leaps. "…brat," he muttered and grinned to himself as he trailed behind the blonde closely.

'_Maybe, Danchou's not really wrong to keep the kid._'

-x-

In a matter of hours, they reached the end of the forest and were met by a barrage of flying cards. The two of them both took their fighting stances and deflected all of the cards, all the while, covering each other. They were applauded by a giggling magician and an overly enthusiastic computer prodigy while a man without eyebrows whistled at them. However, what took them the most was the huge and toothy grin that was pasted upon their leader's handsome face that was obviously asking, "Did you enjoy your stay?"

Machi took a look at the boy's clothing and immediately noticed the jacket. She snorted and blinked and stared at the samurai with a look that plainly says, "I told you, you'll lose…"

Nobunaga only stared at her with a smirk that replied, "You'll see."

"So, how did it go?" Kuroro asked, grinning broadly. "Who had more cards?"

At that point, Kurapika and Nobunaga took the cards out of their pockets and showed them to the raven-haired man.

Kuroro, expecting everything, only said, "Well done, it's a tie."

Feitan, Phinx and Shalnark groaned loudly. It was obvious that they lost in their bets. Nobunaga angrily confronted them.

"What? Were you betting that I'm about to lose?" the samurai angrily huffed.

"Kinda, but Bono, Coltopi and Franklin did too!" Shalnark retorted as he dodged a deadly slash. "Why are you attacking only me?"

"Because you're the most obvious!" Nobunaga merely replied as he continued to chase the brown-haired man playfully, albeit looking quite dangerously.

"Anyway, forget all about these and hand me my money," Machi demanded at her comrades.

Kurapika, who was then watching almost unblinkingly as the samurai chased the other Spiders around, was sporting a very amused look at his face. Kuroro noticed this and whispered silently at his ear, "Did you make a new friend?"

Kurapika only pouted but replied nonetheless, "I guess…"

"Good."

"Hey! Why's the kid wearing your jacket?" Phinx pointed out, a mischievous smile was creeping on his face.

The samurai promptly became rooted to the spot and turned an entertaining shade of red. Shalnark, on the other hand, took that perfect chance to disappear behind Machi.

Nobunaga stole a glance at the Kuruta, who then almost glared a reminder at him before he sheathed his katana and muttered rather seriously, "None of your business."

"Heh!" Phinx merely replied as he prepared his mind with a few rounds of twisted jokes.

-x-

**VERY (!) IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTES:** I just have to say this first. _NO! THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT NOBU X KURA! WAAAAAA! OK?_ They're just friends OK? OK? My friend reminded me to make this a point just in case… Uh… I don't wanna think about it LOL. Please… don't make such assumptions… I value my sanity, thank you very much.

Whew! Anyway, since we are nearing the end of this story's first part, let me make a BIG announcement. OK, now, you might want to start sharpening your swords and spears already but nevertheless, let me tell you that the shounen-ai/yaoi/whatever part, ENDS HERE. Yep. Here, at the very dot of the last paragraph. BUT(!) the pairing DOES NOT. The only thing that I can say is that, I've been dropping HUGE hints since Chapter One… For those who did not notice… Well, it was VERY evident in this chapter.


	20. The Banished Children

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **Kuroro, Nobunaga and Kurapika pay a visit to one of the last Kurutas.

**AUTHOR'S NOTES: **Hmm… Thanks for the reviews… Anyway, whoever gave you the idea that I made Kurapika a female is... Nevermind... Read out for more. And watch out for other notes at the end of the chapter. Enjoy!

_**CHAPTER 19: The Banished Children**_

Everything seems to work out fine. Kurapika and Nobunaga got along well that Nobunaga even insisted on staying with them when all of the others have already left. Also, the other members of the Spiders were relatively relieved and bothered; relieved that the Kuruta and the samurai were not clashing like oil and water, and bothered, since the Kuruta and the samurai were not clashing like oil and water.

Kuroro only sighed.

After the duel, Kuroro expected the rift between the samurai and the Kuruta to be lifted. However, he never expected them to be all too friendly with each other. It was as if the bane of existence, well, he meant, the doctor, which he had been too successful to remove from the picture of him and his beloved Kuruta, had taken residence in the body of his very own loyal subject, Nobunaga.

To make the long story short, Kurapika had been spending way too long periods of time with Nobunaga than his liking. And Kuroro Lucifer could not believe that he will feel like this, worse, to feel like this for one of his men.

Kuroro Lucifer is jealous. And a jealous Kuroro Lucifer is not a nice Kuroro Lucifer.

But of course, he could not afford for his little Kuruta to know about any of this, could he? Of course not.

Kuroro sighed yet again and took a peek at the sleeping figure of a certain blonde just across his bed in the same room. The blonde was sleeping soundly; looking too innocent yet too dangerous even in his sleep. Kuroro could almost swear out loud that he bet his Nen Kurapika knew nothing about any of these. That Kurapika was only clinging to the samurai for a brotherly support. That the Kuruta only missed the brotherly figure he knew and loved from the doctor. Well at least he hoped that it was the case.

Kuroro huffed and turned away from the sleeping boy to focus on the darkness of the sky outside. He never felt this uneasy before, unless one may count the time that he spent running towards the Reinfield mansion. The uneasiness he felt back then was just as terrible. But, he never felt this uneasy for such a long span of time. He had been such a calm, collected and calculating person. He never left loopholes for problems to occur, well, he did back at the Kuruta massacre but the loophole back then was the joy of his being right now, so he started to bloat his ego again and think that he really never left loopholes.

He had foreseen every event; Kurapika and Nobunaga would be tied and forced together for a couple of days. They would then have to cover each other's backs simply because they are in the Serrega Jungle, and the creatures inside are nothing short of demons spewed by hell because they are only too menacing, and also because the death of one is a huge trouble for the other. Then they have to battle the notorious giant twelve-legged spider of Serrega while they were bound because the spider would feel their Nen and get attracted to eat them. The foe would be too strong to handle and they will end up helping each other so much, they might even have to go through great lengths just to save each other's necks. After that, they just have to be friends or at least start being civil to each other all because of the difficulties that they forced to be together into.

Well, he meant for the two to be close. Not this close. It is highly irritating and frustrating for his part. Especially when he thought that these were all his doing. He was almost gritting his teeth when he felt the Kuruta waking up.

"What's wrong?" the boy asked.

Kuroro turned again and faced the Kuruta. His soul-searching onyx eyes fixed against aquamarine. "Nothing," he lied.

"You've been tossing and turning and you're not asleep at all."

"There is just one little thing that is bothering me, that's all," Kuroro said, almost smiling at the boy's suddenly worried gesture. "Why did you wake up?" he changed the subject immediately. Right now, as his emotions are taking over, he could not afford even the littlest slip of tongue.

"I-I'll just use the bathroom," Kurapika said, standing up and dashing towards the bathroom.

Kuroro, who then was raising his eyebrow with slight amusement spoke up, "Ate something bad?"

"Shut up!" the boy retorted from inside the bathroom.

Kuroro chuckled and then he sat up, turning his bedside lamp on and grabbing the book that he had been reading earlier that day. He checked the wall clock opposite Kurapika's bed and saw that it was half-past two already. He could not force himself to sleep and he never did so he opted to read until sunrise. He shifted his gaze from the wall clock towards the empty bed and was about to grin at himself on how much the Kuruta had softened to all of them even though the boy hated to express it when something caught his gaze.

There was a dark blotch on the white sheets and he will be damned if his years of being a killer had not trained him well not to recognize blood even in the dark.

A sudden surge of being overprotective engulfed his being and he jumped out of bed just to make sure that his eyes are not fooling him. Sure enough, as he took the blanket off the sheets, his eyes almost popped out of his face when he realized that it was indeed blood that tainted it.

Panicking, he prioritized his thoughts and the safety of the Kuruta came first in his mind. However, he also does not want to scare the boy off so he collected himself and asked, albeit almost shakily, "Kurapika, are you still in there?"

"O-of course I-I am!" he replied, making it sound as if the man's question was the stupidest thing that came to existence, however, quite failing when the man noticed the slight disruption in his voice.

"Are you all right?" Kuroro asked, furrowing his eyebrows at the bloodstain and sprinting towards the bathroom door, ready to pry it open once he hears the first sign of trouble from the other side.

"Yeah!" the Kuruta shouted back, and Kuroro honestly thought that the kid was panicking.

'_That's it!_' the man had enough. It was obvious that the Kuruta is hiding something. "I'm going in," Kuroro said, readying himself for whatever was about to meet him.

"NO!" Kurapika replied, fighting back the force of the door being opened. "You can't come in!"

Kuroro started to grit his teeth again in annoyance but he opted to sound calm, "And why is that? Are you hiding something?"

"N-no… it's not that—"

Whatever that Kurapika was saying had been cut short when Kuroro pulled the door off its hinges. Gasping with shock, the Kuruta cowered against the nearest wall as a deadly looking Genei Ryodan leader stepped inside. The gentleness that the man seemed to earn for the past few days of being with the youngster had vanished and right now, he is no one but the deadly bringer of nightmares and death to anyone he had graced his presence with.

With a single swift move, he managed to grab the Kuruta and carry him outside, just beside the bloodstained bed.

"There's blood on it," Kuroro bluntly said, his face and voice devoid of emotions and his grip was deadly.

"O-ow… Kuroro… You're hurti—"

"Why is there blood on it?" Kuroro asked seriously, and for a moment, Kurapika wondered how he managed to ask ever so calmly yet sound like Death himself.

"I-it's…" Kurapika stuttered with the reply. No one should know. Nobunaga promised not to tell, but his own body betrayed him.

"I am asking you a question Kurapika."

"I-I…"

"Danchou!"

The scene was broken by a barely dressed samurai who barged into the room waking his half-asleep roommate and subconsciously bringing him along with him. Kurapika almost fainted with gratitude but Kuroro held on him tighter.

"Nobunaga," Kuroro spoke, his voice was cold as ice and the sleeping Shalnark was quick to get out of slumber and notice the hostility in their leader's tone.

"U-uh… Uhmmm…" Nobunaga stuttered this time. Honestly, between the Kuruta and their leader, he will choose to feel the wrath of the red-eyed boy anytime.

"Do you need anything?" Kuroro asked as his grip never loosened one bit at the boy's arm.

"N-no not e-exactly…"

"Then get out," the raven-haired man ordered.

Nobunaga's eyes widened as he saw his commander's own onyx eyes. He knew exactly what is happening and he gave one last apologetic glance to the Kuruta before staring back at his Danchou. He cannot help Kurapika right now.

"O-OK…"

'_Nobunaga would not be of any help right now._' That was the really big message being posted in front of him as the samurai left the room along with a surprised Shalnark.

"What are the two of you hiding?" Kuroro asked, pulling the blonde closer to him until they were almost face to face.

"Nothing!" Kurapika was quick to answer. No one should know. No one. Not even Kuroro. Not even Killua. Not even Gon.

"Then tell me why there is blood on your bed!" Kuroro asked loudly and forcibly this time. It was actually amazing on how he managed not to break the boy's arm with his grip.

Kurapika was on the verge of tears by now. He made an oath to keep this to himself. Only his uncle, aunt and his cousin knew. Then Leorio found out and he was not happy. Then Nobunaga. There are too many people in the picture now…

"Kurapika!"

"NO! LET GO OF ME!" Kurapika screamed, using a sudden burst of Reinforcement Nen while he turned on his Emperor Time to force the man to let go of him.

No one else should know…

Unfortunately, Kuroro was quick to use Ken and was not even visibly shaken.

He made a promise…

"Tell me…"

Too many promises had been broken now…

"Kurapika, tell me. Please…"

-x-

"What's happening?" Shalnark asked as he rose from his bed again and was almost heading to the door when Nobunaga stopped him.

"Let's leave them alone," the samurai said, sighing.

"Are they fighting?" Shalnark questioned as his brows furrowed when he felt the sudden burst of Nen from the suite just above theirs. "Should we check?"

"No," Nobunaga replied. "There's just a problem that they need to settle on their own. Dammit, I'm not entering that freaking room again for today." He paused before adding, "I'm not getting my ass kicked by Danchou anytime soon, and if you value your life too, just let them be."

There was a pregnant pause between the two which was highlighted when silence engulfed even the arguing pair above their suite.

Nobunaga sighed, "I guess it's over…"

"What's with Danchou earlier?" Shalnark asked as he settled back on his bed with his arms behind his neck and faced the other man's bed. He smiled his usual cheery grin before adding, "Are you and Kurapika hiding something from him?"

The samurai's eyes grew wide with the accusation, "O-of course not!"

"Heh! You're not a very good liar Nobu."

"Were you hanging around with Phinx lately? It's not good for your health…"

"You're hanging around too much with Kurapika lately too."

Nobunaga was hit. He was muted. Of course, he had noticed that he was indeed spending way too much time with the Kuruta and the other Spiders are already feeling bothered. Who can blame him? Who can blame them?

"Actually, we don't really mind if you find Kurapika as an amusing companion. I do too. But, you're so dense not to see that Danchou's being jealo—"

"I know that! Dammit!"

"Then why don't you go to Danchou and explain?"

"Honestly, Shalnark, you don't know what you're talking about."

"If the two of you got a secret then you don't really have to tell Danchou that secret. You just have to tell him that you two have a secret and assure him that you're not stealing his Kuruta," Shalnark shrugged.

"Stealing?"

"You're being too protective," the tech-prodigy said. "Nobu, you're not blind, are you?"

"What?"

"Danchou's in love…" Shalnark spoke, as if it was the most obvious thing. "With Kurapika. If you do not know that, now you do. So stop lurking around him like he's some porcelain doll at the edge of a cliff or Danchou's gonna make sure that you die a horrible and painful death."

"You… I-I… What?"

"Danchou's jealous because you and his beloved Kuruta are getting too close!" the brown-haired man emphasized, flailing his arms.

"Oh."

"Oh? Just 'Oh.'?"

"Well, what do you want me to say? I… I know but…"

At that point, Shalnark had already slapped his own forehead. "Now, now, Nobu, why don't we analyze things?" he started. "It is now clear to you how Danchou feels, right?"

"Of course it is!"

"Aren't you going to throw a fit or something?" Shalnark asked, one of his eyebrows rising.

"Well… No."

"Are you sick?"

"No."

"Sure?"

"You know what? I'm really itching right now to behead you, so just shut up and let me sleep!"

"Two weeks ago, you wanted nothing but Kurapika's brains at the edge of your sword, now you're…"

"I've changed my mind, OK?" the samurai replied heatedly.

"Why?"

"The—"

The two's conversation had been broken by a knock on their suite's door.

Nobunaga, wanting nothing but to end his talk with Shalnark sprang towards the doorstep and opened it. He does not have to ask. The knock was a giveaway.

"Danchou," Nobunaga managed after a gulp.

Kuroro only nodded before entering, followed by a sulking Kuruta. He went towards the nearest chair and sat, looking really imposing but his face was a lot gentler and brighter right now. It was as if he is simply restraining himself from releasing the goofiest smile possible. However, Nobunaga, who already feared for gruesome things, did not notice. Shalnark, on the other hand, did.

"Nobunaga," Kuroro said, sighing as he assessed the height of nervousness that the samurai was in, finally said. "Kurapika told me."

Nobunaga's gulp became rather audible for all four occupants of the room afterwards.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Kuroro then asked, staring straight towards Nobunaga's eyes.

"We— I-I… Uh…" Nobunaga said, as he stole a glance at the Kuruta who only bowed his head after a nod. "I m-made a promise…"

"And did you tell anyone?"

"NO! Of course I didn't! I'm a man of my word, Danchou!"

"Good," Kuroro suddenly said, smiling. "You're coming with us by sunrise."

"Uh… Danchou, how about me?" Shalnark asked rather hesitantly.

Kuroro blinked once before looking at the Kuruta as if asking for permission.

He was replied by a shaking of head.

"You're needed more by the others," Kuroro said, grinning. "I have some tasks for you."

-x-

Angry winds and rain that tries to do everything in its power to break everyone's windows were the only ones three people inside a certain train compartment cared about at the moment.

Earlier that day, everyone in a small inn was woken up by the weird sound of a door being torn off its hinges. Fortunately, it was just a few minutes later when the culprit – some handsome and rather rich man, explained himself that he had a simple argument with his companion and had apparently resolved it shortly after the intervention of some friends. He apologized sincerely and paid a huge amount of money to the innkeeper for the trouble and the noise afterwards. By sunrise, the four occupants, also known as the troublemakers, left the tavern to who knows where, leaving the innkeeper grinning from ear to ear for the rest of the day.

After a few hours of riding the car "borrowed" from Phinx, Kuroro and Shalnark left to have a talk at a nearby restaurant. It was not long when the two finally returned and Kuroro explained that they will be parting ways – Shalnark is to go on his own while the three of them will continue their journey.

However, all of those took place some hours ago and right now someone cannot take the deafening silence anymore while enduring the questions that plagued in his head. Nobunaga just have to ask.

"Uh, Danchou," the samurai started, fidgeting a little. His actions earned the attention of a certain blonde seated beside the man across him.

"Yes?" the other man asked, taking his eyes off the window to focus on the countenance of his loyal subject.

"Where are we going?" Nobunaga replied rather too quickly. He spoke with as much speed as he could muster, afraid that he might lose his courage if he tarries any longer.

"To Hegarith."

"Huh?"

"Hegarith," Kuroro repeated. "It is a small island about a night away from here without this storm." He paused as he looked at the window again. "However, if the weather is like this over there, we can only hope to be there after a few days."

"Uhm… OK…" the asker said as he bit his lower lip in search of more words. "What'll we do there?"

Kuroro raised an eyebrow. It seems that the blonde boy did not tell the entire tale to his confidant. "You'll know when we get there," he finished.

After a huge and awkward pause, the tension emanating from the samurai died away and a blonde kid who thought that droplets of water were really fun and exciting to look at started to drift off to a dreamless sleep.

-x-

"I'm actually doing finer than I thought, Danchou," a cheerful voice from the other line declared. "Machi's helping me so I believe we can do this faster."

"All right," a reply with restrained joy came.

"Anytime!" the exuberant male answered before dropping the line.

Kuroro grinned inwardly. '_Excellent_,' he thought, before walking back towards his two companions where he was met by a question written by the wrinkles on the forehead of Nobunaga.

"Everything is fine, Nobu. You do not have to think about it," Kuroro said as he walked past the samurai and the blonde boy.

Not a second later, the two followed him like lost puppies as they headed to the nearest train station. Hegarith is just an hour away after the small tempest died out last night. They boarded a small ship afterwards and lasted only a few hours at sea due to the incredible smoothness of the waters. It seems that the storm did not want to be remembered, as it left no traces of its existence after it poured all it got.

The relatively short train ride went on like the others; Kuroro would be seated quietly, reading a book or watching the ever-changing sceneries outside, Kurapika would be sleeping or simply staring off to space, while Nobunaga would swallow words and questions because he seriously believe that he had done something wrong to their Danchou. It was not long when they came to their stop and all three hopped soundlessly off the train towards the throng of people outside.

They stopped over a small restaurant to have their lunch before really heading out to what they came from. Also, Kuroro believed that it is the perfect time to relate what is really happening to the oblivious samurai.

"Nobunaga," the man started after sipping some coffee from his cup.

"Danchou?" Nobunaga was quick to reply, eager to learn the answer to the questions that had been itching him since they started this blasted journey to some boring old town.

"I believe that you have no idea why we are here," Kuroro stated as he laid down his cup.

The look on the samurai's face was more than enough as a reply so as a leader, who wishes nothing but his subject's well being, Kuroro decided not to prolong the man's agony further.

"Kurapika, why did you not tell him? Is he not your confidant?" Kuroro asked, blinking innocently at the Kuruta. Of course, the stubborn boy will not want any more of his secret to spill so he kept his mouth shut on this one. "It does not really matter anyway," Kuroro continued with a dismissive wave of his hand. "But you have to tell him now." He then gave out a smile to Nobunaga before saying, "Feel free to voice out your inquiries, Nobu. I bet you would have lots of them."

The Kuruta sighed with resignation before muttering a barely audible "Fine…" and then composing himself as he started his story.

"I have an uncle here in Hegarith," Kurapika started.

"Another Kuruta? I thought you're the last one…" Nobunaga said in surprise.

"I am," the boy replied. "…for those with the red eyes."

"You mean, there are those without the red eyes?" Nobunaga asked, quite loudly and almost rising from his seat. "Uh… well, you may continue…" he added as he saw a frown on the boy's face when his voice got quite out of control.

"Yes, there are a few of them," Kurapika continued. "You see, the crimson of our eyes are hereditary and sometimes, marrying those who are not from our clan may yield infants without red eyes. And unless one is red-eyed, he will never be a true Kuruta."

A nod of understanding prodded him to continue. "However, as our ancient law states, as our bloodline will eventually be wiped out if we do not marry outside the clan, we will only take with us infants with scarlet eyes. We should banish the rest of the children without the inheritance as soon as they learn to fight for their survival out of our lands. Also, only the legal spouses of those who are deemed to carry the bloodline shall be the only ones without red eyes to be able to remain within our protection."

"Wait… who chooses who to marry from the outside world?"

"The sage of our tribe shall pick the youngsters with the strongest blood and allow them to marry outsiders if they wanted to."

"Oh…" Nobunaga said, scratching his chin afterwards to contemplate more about his questions before firing them out. "You mean that if a Kuruta marries someone out of the tribe, he may keep his wife with him even though she is not a Kuruta?" Nobunaga asked, looking rather baffled.

"Yes."

"But if she gives birth to a child without scarlet eyes, then you will kick the kid out of your clan?"

"Yes."

"But what if two red-eyed true-blooded Kurutas marry and bears a child without red eyes, will you still throw the child out?"

"Of course."

"What?"

Kurapika sighed, "It was written in our laws that we should only keep those children with the red eyes even though we are not forbidden to marry someone out of the tribe. It is for the preservation of our prized inheritance."

"What if someone with Kuruta blood, although not red-eyed bears a red-eyed child?"

"We should take the child in our clan of course."

"And the parents?"

"They may visit the child every end of the month when the monthly break for a Kuruta's training takes place. That is until he turns of legal age. After that, he will not be allowed to see them anymore."

"So you mean that there may be a lot of people walking around the globe with Kuruta blood in them? Banished children?" Nobunaga asked, eager to learn more.

"Yes, but none of them ever had red eyes. If they did, they are most probably living eyeless right now," Kurapika replied with a pained sigh. "Every red-eyed Kuruta knows that Rukuso is the only safe haven for them. If the clan cannot protect them, no one else can…"

Brushing off the sudden tension as the Kuruta seem to sink further back to his painful memories, Nobunaga crawled back to the conversation. "And your uncle is one of the banished children?"

Kurapika nodded.

"How are you related to him?" Nobunaga asked in sheer curiosity.

"He is the brother of my father," Kurapika replied as he smiled weakly on his empty plate of food.

"So your father is not a pure Kuruta?"

Kurapika answered, "My father is the younger son of two red-eyed Kurutas. It just happens that my grandmother happened to be a daughter of a banished child and an outsider. When her parents learned about her red eyes, they took her to Rukuso and allowed the tribe to keep her for her safety. Everyone knows how much a pair costs so they thought it is a lot safer in the clan's realm. So technically, being a daughter of two non-Kurutas while possessing the inheritance, she has a chance to bear both a red-eyed child and a normal one."

Nobunaga nodded for him to continue.

"She was married to my grandfather who is a Kuruta in his own right and they bore my uncle first and then my father five years later. They said that it did not come as a surprise when my uncle was born without the inheritance while my father was with it."

Silence took over for a few moments before the Kuruta resumed.

"He was banished at the age of fifteen. However, my father diligently kept a secret correspondence with him that not even my grandparents knew about," Kurapika stated. "My father told me all about it since I was old enough to understand. He kept on telling me to run to my uncle once something bad happens."

"Why didn't you?" Nobunaga asked, furrowing his eyebrows further. It was an even bigger question. If what Kurapika says is true, then why did the boy decide to grow up alone when he still has a family left to him?

"I did."

"You… what?"

"You saw what I really am, didn't you?" Kurapika then asked the samurai, bright cat-like aquamarine eyes meeting his.

The samurai nodded.

"It was due to my uncle's Nen that I remain as I am before you discovered," Kurapika said. "Whenever he is not well, glitches like this occur."

"It's a… glitch?"

"Nothing more, nothing less. My body still functions the way it did, before my uncle helped me, whenever he is sick. So when his Nen wanes even a little, things like that happen. Trust me, I am a lot worse a few times," Kurapika replied as he finished his drink and turned to Kuroro. "Now that I told him, can we leave already?"

The Spider's leader only smiled at him, "Of course."

-x-

After taking a short ride at a bus, the three found themselves at the middle of the town's main residential area. Every house is painted with bright and cheerful colors and through all the eye-catching paintjobs, none could actually stand out. Fortunately, the youngster seem to know his way around and the two men were left to follow his every turn until they landed right at the doorstep of a humble house with pink-painted walls and yellow windows and door.

Nobunaga visibly flinched at the weird display of girlish colors. However, he did try his best to hide his distaste from the Kuruta and his Danchou.

Kurapika sighed and straightened his clothes before knocking thrice and calling out, "Uncle, it's me, Kurapika…"

There was just a single second of silence before the door burst open and a tall man with flaming red hair sprang from the inside to attack the Kuruta.

Kuroro was simply too amused to lend a helping hand when the Kuruta choked over the redhead's chest. Nobunaga, on the other hand, could have picked his own jaw from the ground if his muscles had been weaker.

"K-ka-kazuk-ki!" Kurapika barely managed after he was able to angle his face to speak out something decent as most of his previous statements had been muffled by a taller man's chest.

"PIKA-CHAN!" the man practically squealed as he gathered the boy again in another deadly bear-hug before he affectionately kissed the Kuruta on the top of the head.

Kuroro blinked a few times at the overly affectionate behavior and the weird name while Nobunaga practically fainted on the spot.

"Oh, you brought some friends!" the man said as he finally noticed them. "MOM! Pika-chan brought some friends!" the man called out.

The next moment a woman with identical flaming red hair bouncing after her in impeccable curls tackled the blond boy while letting out a loud wail expressing that she missed him, which quickly changed to a high pitched squeal of excitement and gossip when she laid eyes on the Kuruta's handsome raven-haired and soulful-eyed companion.

Kurapika deeply debated with himself if he wanted to faint too.

-x-

It was not a moment later that all three of them were ushered inside the house kindly by a happily and senselessly chattering red-haired woman and her equally flighty son. Even Kuroro was amazed with the hospitality. And soon, they found themselves seated on cozy sofa while enjoying hot chocolate.

"Pika-chan, father said that he will join us in a minute," the man, whom Kuroro and Nobunaga discovered to be Kazuki, the son of Kurapika's uncle, said.

"Thank you," Kurapika replied. "And I'm sorry if I dropped by without informing you beforehand."

"Nah, it doesn't matter… You know you're always welcome here," Kazuki replied, bright emerald eyes exuding kindness and warmth smiled at the boy.

"I'll be in the kitchen, boys," the woman said as she disappeared towards the said location, humming happily about growing up and stuff to herself.

"Is uncle sick?" Kurapika asked after regaining his composure, or what was left.

"Yeah," Kazuki replied. "He's not really OK these past few days but he's a lot better today than yesterday, or the day after that," the man said as he shaped his eyes to convey a secret message towards Kurapika.

"It's OK. They knew…"

"Really?" the man squealed, looking rather surprised but a hint of mischief was glinting brightly in his green orbs. "They must be really special…" he added.

At that point, Kuroro graced Kazuki a smile while Nobunaga swallowed the hot chocolate in his mouth. He knew very well that his Danchou would not exactly like it if he spits his drink towards Kurapika's cousin, accidental or not.

Kurapika groaned inwardly. His cousin really is a very nice and incredibly lovable person. However, he is a lot "weirder" than a rabid, I mean, avid fan-girl.

"Ah, Kurapika," a much matured masculine voice wafted from the stairs. "Welcome back!"

Kazuki disappeared from his seat to aid his father while Kurapika then stood up to greet him. "Uncle, it's nice to see you!" he said, smiling.

"It's nicer to see you in one piece," the man commented as he walked towards the living room and sat himself on the nearest armchair.

Kuroro and Nobunaga immediately noticed the resemblances – blond hair, although a lot paler than Kurapika's, bright green eyes though narrower, could have been the same shape if only the boy's body decided to become more masculine, and finally, the same skin tone.

"You've gotten paler," Kurapika commented with a slight frown.

"I've been burying myself underneath tons of books lately for my latest project, that's why," the man commented as he scratched the back of his head.

'_Looks like scholastic tendencies run in the family_,' Kuroro thought.

'_Next time Kurapika drives me to a library for the hell of boredom, I know who to blame…_' Nobunaga thought.

"Ah, guests!" the man said as soon as he laid eyes on the two unfamiliar faces. "Friends of my nephew, I see. I am Gufro, Kurapika's uncle, thank you for taking good care of him for us!" he said as he offered a hand for the two men to shake.

Kuroro took it and so did Nobunaga.

"Call me Gufro, because I believe that I am really not that old," he said with a laugh. "Call me 'old man' and I'll throw you on the streets!" he added with a chuckle. "This is my son, Kazuki. And the lovely lady in the kitchen is my wife, Aira," he added the last statement rather loudly which earned him a loud giggle from the mentioned room.

Kuroro took his time to judge Kurapika's uncle. He was just as tall as his son, with emerald eyes identical again to the male redhead and the color amplified by his round glasses, and a perfect set of white teeth. He does not look strong enough to last a single punch but Kuroro would bet the Emerald of Hope that this man is a lot more capable in battle than he looks like. He knew that the man is in full Zetsu and he could not detect the Nen he is projecting on Kurapika even at this distance. Smiling in his mind, he knew whom Kurapika's prowess in Nen must have come from. This man is someone not to be taken lightly in battle. Just like Kurapika, his frail looks can be deceiving.

"Strangers, kindly introduce yourselves so that we may be friends," Gufro spoke lightheartedly.

"I am Kuroro," Kuroro said, however, he opted to leave his surname in the darkness. Of course, this man might have known something about the Spiders. If that is the case, then he should be careful. He does not want Kurapika to hate him again because he got on a squabble against his uncle. "And this is Nobunaga," he added, introducing the samurai too. "We're Kurapika's friends."

"I see that you two are not the ones he met from the Hunter Exam," Gufro said as he held his chin for an analogy. "Therefore, you must have met him afterwards! I am happy that he is making a lot of friends…"

Kuroro smiled in reply. Nobunaga, on the other hand, managed a lopsided grin.

"Since Kurapika brought you here, then you must have known about our secret," the man said as he adjusted his eyeglasses, making them glint.

"Yes," Kuroro replied. "We are a bit troubled, actually."

"If Kurapika would allow, I would like to tell you the entire story," Gufro asked.

Kurapika nodded.

"Alone," Gufro added.

"Pika-chan, let's go help Mom make some snacks!" Kazuki announced as he dragged Kurapika out of the living room.

"Now, would you kindly let me in on what you already know?" Gufro started, his eyes, though staring at them with kindness, was shimmering with a recognizable hint of tension. It was as if he was about to tread on a particularly narrow path and he wanted to test if it can withstand his weight. "If you do not mind, I tend to ramble when explaining especially when I am starting from scratch."

"It is all right, we do understand," Kuroro reassured him. "We do not really know much, and we really wanted to learn more. Also, there are a few questions that I believe only you can answer. Kurapika is very much capable of answering those but I hate to raise a rift between us. It was only recently that he decided to open up and I want to keep our delicate relationship blooming for the better."

Gufro smiled weakly before speaking again, "Then tell me what he had already told you young man. Kurapika is a silent kid. He definitely hated it when people pry things off him, especially after the death of his parents. Honestly, I am very amazed that he took you here with him. Last time he visited, he was a totally different person. Today, he changed even more, but for the better… Oh, please do not mind my ranting, proceed with your inquiries."

"I have a few questions that need clarification first," Kuroro said, projecting a rather shy smile. "The explanation for his 'condition' can wait later. So if you do not mind, I would like to raise the questions first."

Gufro sighed quite dreamily before nodding, "Of course… Fire away lad."

"Why did Kurapika run away instead of staying here? I can see that you and your family loved him deeply. Why did he leave?" Kuroro asked.

"Vengeance," Gufro replied. "I offered him sanctuary, scholarship, everything… but he refused because of an oath," he paused for a while he ran a hand on his hair to flatten it. "Can you believe it? A twelve year old kid's oath… And I…I was unable to stop him."

"Let me tell you our story," the man laughed bitterly before slumping at his seat further. "I love him just as much as I love Kazuki. But I failed my promise to my brother when I allowed him to take the Hunter Exam," the man continued, looking defeated. "When I learned that I will soon be banished from the clan, I immediately strengthened my ties to my brother. I…I told him that he should write to me at least every month so that I will know if he or my parents have a problem that I may be able to help them. We even hunted Rukuso's pygmy owls and trained them as messenger birds, years before I leave. That was for our correspondence. Of course, I have to make sure that no one will notice so Fauro and I bred them in secret until they were too many that no one really cares where they go about."

"The breeding part was easy, and so was the training part," Gufro continued. "The owls were numerous already and amazingly intelligent, not to mention silent and quite hardy. The hard part was months before I left. That time, I told Fauro, who was only ten, that whenever there is so much as a shouting match between our parents, he can always write to me and I will tell him exactly how to get to me. Hegarith had been such a nice town and the Kuruta's training had proved to be handy, by the way… Then when the time comes that he would have children, if one of them should be banished, I told him that he can always send them to me. Also, if ever there should be problems in Rukuso, I would love to have them – his family, him, or whoever he sends over, here."

"It took me months more to accept my fate and to trust in our little preparations to continue to inform each other about our lives. So when I left, I was actually not that grieved since little brother always writes his stories, dreams, adventures and even his love-life and sends them to me," Gufro said. "You cannot imagine how he wrote with surprise when I told him that I was married to a wonderful woman and had Kazuki as our son. Fauro was so elated he sent owls every week to check on his little nephew! Well those were the fun times although it exhausted a lot of innocent birds… Then almost five years later, he informed me of his wife's pregnancy."

"I was beyond hopeless those times," he chuckled at the memory before resuming. "I would write every other day and wait until there is an available owl to send my message. Aira and little Kazuki would even laugh at me when I stand by the window with my eyes hunting for owls… I was so excited especially when our beloved Pika-chan was born."

"Then our little correspondence remained as usual, of course, by then it includes stories of our children's cute and funny misadventures. Everything was fine until one stormy night, a battered old owl crashed by my window," Gufro spoke, the warmth in his eyes suddenly flickering but unlike Kurapika's usual flames behind bright orbs, Gufro's eyes do not hold anger, just sorrow and hints of regret at most. "The wounded owl almost died right there and I almost did not notice the small tattered note it carried."

"Some of the words were almost unrecognizable since it was obvious that the note was made as a hurried scrawl at the very least, and the wetness from the storm made it worse but I would be damned if I would not be able to understand my own brother's writing when it was the only thing that connects myself to him." Gufro said behind gritted teeth. He was not angry, just deeply grieved.

When the pause lasted longer than fine, Nobunaga asked, "What did the note say?" It was the first time that he really felt like intervening. Well, he was too caught up with the story; very much like a small child lulled to the mysteries of nature by his grandfather.

"Take my child with you. Don't let Kurapika hunt the Spiders," Gufro replied as he closed his eyes and massaged the bridge of his nose. "That same night, I left, despite the storm and headed to Rukuso to see what had happened. I knew it was really something terrible if Fauro was only able to write such a short message when he was usually the one that rambles endlessly about unnecessary things, being the teacher that he was."

Gufro shifted from his seat to a more dignified position. "Aira and Kazuki practically threw me out of the house to make things faster," he continued. "They were also too scared of what may have happened. Fortunately, Nen was such a big help and I nearly drained myself when I rushed to the nearest airport, which was a week away by normal means, within an hour. The blimp that I took dropped me to the nearest airport to Rukuso within a night and I made sure to rest perfectly then so that I could run like a headless chicken yet again to the Kurutas' realm. Well, I barely slept with worry but I managed to rush to the small ruined village before midday."

"What I saw broke my heart," Gufro continued, on the verge of tears by now. "Little Kurapika just finished burying everyone and was drenched with blood from head to toe. I knew by then how weak I am when the poor child stared at me with equally blood-red eyes, a tear-streaked face and all I can do was collapse on my knees and cry as well…"

"The intelligent kid already… already knew who I am but never begged to come with me or asked for help… Kurapika just…" Gufro spoke between huge sobs. "…just told me to back off…"

Kuroro winced. Of course, everything was his doing. He never regretted it. But, right now, imagining the painful memories of the youngster he had so hopelessly fallen for is rather disturbing.

"Of course, I still took the stubborn child who fought and struggled until losing consciousness due to endless wailing and crying," Gufro told them. "All was fine for a few months and Aira and Kazuki thought that Pika-chan's already healing when…" Gufro let out an enormous sob and fought hard to keep himself from pulling out his hair. "When… Kurapika asked me to… to protect… he-him…"

"Protect?" Nobunaga repeated, a confused look pasted on his face.

Gufro composed himself immediately afterwards. "I do not want any formalities since I believe that I am still young, as I mentioned earlier, therefore I will call you by your name. So, Kuroro," Gufro started again after he heaved a huge sigh to calm himself. He smiled brightly again after wiping off the tears that betrayed his countenance. "What do you think of my nephew?"

Kuroro took that time to swallow hard. Nobunaga, on the other hand, found the action very out of character but deemed that he would never point it out because he wanted nothing like a bashed skull or dangling intestines at the moment.

"W-well… I…" Kuroro stuttered. He almost had the urge to bash his own head on the wall for feeling so damned nervous all of a sudden. This friendly-looking man only asked a simple question, for goodness' sake!

The bespectacled man looked at him expectantly as he blinked his eyes and restrained a smug-looking grin while interrogating his nephew's "friend". He had fully recovered from the dramatic episode just a few moments ago. Unlike Kurapika, Gufro is a rather simpleminded person.

Kuroro would have blushed if he did not have better control with his body and if he had not been relatively a stoic before a certain crimson-eyed avenger came strutting in his life.

"I…" Kuroro cursed himself in his thoughts before mustering all of the manliness he had in him and speaking with utmost confidence – or simply just everything he had at that moment though not really that much. "I believe that Kurapika is a beautiful person. Though his brashness and utter lack of style as well as the abundance of his arrogance need a little pruning, I believe that it only adds to his charm."

"Kurapika is a pretty kid," Gufro said after chuckling at the obvious "intention" of this Kuroro to his and Kazuki's beloved Pika-chan.

Kuroro nodded in agreement while Nobunaga thought deeply whether to follow the gesture or not. He decided not to. The thought, '_A jealous Kuroro Lucifer is not a nice Kuroro Lucifer_,' kept on repeating itself in his head like a broken record and most of the times, a samurai should follow his instincts with incredible precision if he wanted to live a moment longer.

"I am a Specialization Nen user," the oldest man admitted. "I can change anyone's physical attributes save for myself."

The two Spiders both hardened their faces at the incoming revelations.

"But, just as every mortal, I have my limitations," Gufro resumed. "I can only alter the characteristics of those with blood relations to me. And the farther they are from my bloodline, the lesser are the effects of my Nen on them. And if they are totally not related, I can only alter for an hour at most and at the same time, I should keep watch at a few meters to keep on projecting my Nen. However, for Kurapika, who is the child of my own brother, my Nen is incredibly a lot more effective."

"That is the reason why Kurapika can travel the entire globe with only very minor disturbances," he said. "But at times when I am not feeling well, my Nen would always prioritize my health above all else so it will automatically reduce the flow towards the other person and concentrate more on keeping me alive."

Gufro smiled again as he clasped his hands in front of him and gazed at his palms reflectively. "Since Kurapika wanted to make sure that his little secret is well kept even during these "minor disturbances", he asked me not to alter anything distinguishable at first sight," he then grinned at the two before continuing. "So that even if I get sick quite often, no one would know unless misfortune comes and someone notices at an inopportune time… I guess that your coming here is a result of such, am I right?"

Kuroro and Nobunaga nodded in understanding.

"Well, let me get it straight to you," Gufro said as he adjusted his glasses again, making them glint with light over his eyes. "Kurapika had once been an adorable little girl. But she was so clever that she was able to persuade me, my wife and my son that she will never in a million years, survive out there if she continues to be one. Worse, she used my promise of aiding her that moment and even tapped my conscience about my vow to her father."

The man sighed as he took in the "mentally openmouthed expressions" of his guests while he continued his revelation. "Of course, as the heart-wrenched uncle that I was, I gave in and used my "magic", as she calls it before she learned about the wonders of Nen, on her," he said. "Well, it was really relatively a short ritual and it ended up with Aira asking what had been changed and Kazuki checking if my Nen's still working. But after asking Kurapika for confirmation, and getting an affirmative nod, we started dropping the past and living in the present. Technically speaking, Kurapika right now, is completely and utterly male."

Kuroro could only sigh to himself at the revelation. He knew why there had been a bloodstain on the covers when the Kuruta finally confessed. He could only plan right now to be more prepared by bringing some "supplies" with them in case Gufro gets sick again while it is the time of the month especially when they are caught in a mission.

"And even after my death, he will continue to be," Gufro added, smirking inwardly. "I already prepared myself for that. No more questions."

"So, instead of living under your roof, Kurapika decided to be a vagabond and roam around the world?" Kuroro asked. The question was more of a statement as he already had a vague idea of what took place during the years of the boy's lone hunt for the Genei Ryodan

"Yes, the boy wanted to learn on his own and I hold nothing against that," Gurfo shrugged. "And after proving himself worthy of taking care of his own, I allowed him. I knew that my work did little to protect him, but at least, he can intimidate anyone enough about his being male."

"And what about the Hunter Exam?" Kuroro asked.

"Well, that one… I only signed the form because I had a nagging feeling that he'd make it," Gufro replied. "And he did… Come to think of it, during the years that he wandered around the world, he only visited thrice. Then the fourth time was when he asked me to sign his form. After the Exam, he dropped for a few hours and mentioned about an auction later that year. He asked if I knew someone who would teach him Nen because he thought that he already asked a huge favor beforehand and wanted not to be a burden anymore… I referred him to Shisho and never saw him since. He mails me every few months to notify me of his whereabouts anyway…"

Kuroro blinked. It was now revealed where the mails that Shalnark failed to track down coming from the young Kuruta prior to the hostage event with the boy's three friends, went to.

"Gufro," Kuroro spoke again. "I have one favor to ask."

"I assure you that I will comply if it is not beyond my abilities."

"Can you trust me enough to keep your nephew for you?"

At that moment, Gufro chuckled and removed his glasses, giving him the warmest smile that the man only saved for those dear to him. "Lucifer," he started.

Kuroro stood up with surprise. He had not expected that. Nobunaga also stood up and clenched his katana tighter. However, all three men remained in perfect Zetsu, fearing that the other three from the kitchen may sense something.

"How did you know?" Kuroro asked. His voice was low and warning. First was with the old woman healer, now with Kurapika's uncle. If both had not been excellent Nen users, he would start running out of the house and begin reeducating himself with Nen again since he could have been losing his touch. But whatever hostility he got, dissolved as the man laughed genuinely and gave him a fatherly pat at the shoulder.

"My friend Shisho is a little talkative and he had recently bumped to Kurapika's Hunter friends at Arcarus," the man replied.

"Kuroro Lucifer," Gufro started again, his smile never waning. "You are enjoying our clan's little revenge, aren't you?"

Kuroro got the message and relaxed as he smiled at the other man too. "Yes. Very much…"

"I am never the man to hold grudges. And I know that Kurapika needed you as much as you need him. But," Gufro paused as he squeezed Kuroro's shoulder as if begging him. "Please… If the time comes that you would not want him anymore…"

"That will not happen," Kuroro interrupted his eyes and tone serious.

"I am not stating that it will and I hope that it will not," Gufro assured him. "But even so, if it does, return him to us… He is the last of his kind. Please. Please…"

Kuroro sighed with resignation and managed a weak smile. "I doubt the possibility, but even so… Of course you may have my word on this. If it will make up even for a little of what I have done to him…"

Gufro smiled broadly at him before pushing him slightly as a friendly gesture. "Very well," he said. "Let us have those snacks before Pika-chan helps too much. I still want my digestive tract to be intact so off to the kitchen young men!"

-x-

The rest of the day flowed with friendly conversations; Kurapika trying to stay alive as Aira and Kazuki were turning homicidal whenever the two deemed him worthy of a hug, while Kuroro and Gufro engaged in tons of intelligent talks that Nobunaga swore his skull was already hurting hearing such. It was a nice visit overall. It was revealed that Gufro's sickness was due to exhausting himself on his job as a writer. And Kurapika was glad that it was not caused by anything else.

By night, there was a little commotion between Kazuki and Nobunaga. Both males had just turned on their "over-protective-big-brother modes" and none wanted to give in to each other.

"I am not letting my innocent Pika-chan to sleep in the same room as you mister," Kazuki spoke with conviction, flames already encircling his hands.

Nobunaga's eyebrow twitched, "Are you implying something, redhead? I am highly thankful of your parents' hospitality but don't you dare accuse me of anything! Kurapika is sleeping with us in the guestroom or wherever. I do not want to risk his life with you continuing to smother him," Nobunaga replied calmly, although he was already on guard with his katana.

"I am not smothering him!" Kazuki shouted back as a ball of flame was already formed in his hand, ready to be thrown. "I am simply offering my affections since it is obvious that your brashness had already permeated his being and I do not want my cousin to end up like you!"

"What? I am the one who's keeping your Pika-chan alive when you're not even around! How dare you!"

"Nobu, stop it," Kurapika said with a huge sigh as he tugged the samurai's sleeve. "I'll sleep in Kazuki's room. It's OK." He then glared at Kuroro who was obviously enjoying the scene and showed no signs of wanting it to stop. Gufro and Aira, on the other hand, were on the same boat as Kuroro.

"WHAT? And let this… this… CREATURE suffocate you?" Nobunaga screamed as he flailed his arms as if to emphasize his point.

"It's all right, and I miss him too," Kurapika said, smiling weakly at the samurai.

Nobunaga massaged his forehead and relented. "Fine," he said. "Just scream for help if you need me or Danchou."

With that, Kazuki happily retired to his room followed by a Kuruta who was obviously restraining a chuckle.

Kurapika's uncle and aunt, who seemed only barely at their thirties but obviously a lot older, started another conversation with the two Spiders. They already knew, even their son does, and they had nothing against it. They could do nothing about the past and the Spiders do not seem anything close to hostile at their nephew so it would be useless to wage war at an uninterested party. Also, it had already been talked upon that Kurapika could stay with anyone he likes and right now, everyone in the happy household believes that their Pika-chan is safest when he has the entire Phantom Brigade with him and its leader as his guardian. The conversation twisted and turned around the subject of Kurapika's stay, his friends, how he was treated, and even about the recent duel. Finally, before the night ended, and long after a certain samurai left the living room already, Aira started to voice out her opinions.

"Honey, have you told Kuroro already?" she asked her husband who simply nodded his head in affirmation. "Great! Anyway, are you really, entirely, and definitely serious about our Pika-chan? You see, we're the only ones he got although he never really thinks that way since he had urged himself long ago to sever all ties with us for our own good…" she said all of this very fast and in a single breath.

Kuroro could only smile gently to assure the woman. Well, it cannot be helped. Women need more assurances than men when it comes to these things regarding love and safety. "Yes," he said. "I promise to do everything in and even out of my power to protect your nephew. Also, I already promised Gufro that if ever everything does not end well, I would take Kurapika here back to you in perfect health, although as I have said, it is highly improbable."

"Aww…" Aira dreamily said as she clasped her hands while drifting back to her usual flightiness. "You are such a romantic young debonair! I only hope the best for you and our Pika-chan… Please… take good care of him. And if you would need anything, you may always run to us. Pika-chan's just as much as a son to us as Kazuki is and since you're obviously ending up together, you are also considered a part of this family!" she managed to end with a squeal.

'_Family…_' Kuroro thought as he smiled gratefully to the couple. '_I'd like that…_'

All three of them retired to their respective rooms after finishing their tea. The couple's room was just beside Kazuki and Kurapika's room on the second floor while his and Nobunaga's room was just a few steps away from the living room. He smiled contently while facing the ceiling before sighing at Nobunaga's light snoring. Chuckling inwardly, Kuroro's last thought consisted of a certain blonde snuggling closer to him, before he drifted to an easy and comforting slumber.

**(A LOT MORE IMPORTANT) AUTHOR'S NOTES: **OK. So sorry if I got some hopes up. As I have mentioned, this story's plot is already done and I am merely filling up the details. The event of last chapter is necessary especially for the sequel because BALANCE is about to end but the story is far from over. However, if people will insist, I will continue to write under the same title, although BALANCE will turn out to be ridiculously long. XD anyway… I said that Shounen-Ai's done because technically speaking, Kurapika's real gender before Gufro aided him, was otherwise. Although he chose to be male, things can happen at the sequel, right? XD Ho ho ho!

By the way, if anyone would notice, my writing had suddenly evolved and I feel weird… O.O

Thanks for reading! Watch out for the next installment!


	21. Of Hunters and Thieves

**BALANCE: The Collision of Light and Dark**

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own anything in this story, so please don't sue. Everyone and everything (HxH characters, etc...) is owned by Togashi Yoshihiro. Furthermore, whatever happens in the story will NEVER affect the original plot of the Anime/Manga.

**SUMMARY: **With someone in danger and his mind far more muddled than normal, Kurapika just needed advice.

_**CHAPTER 19: Of Hunters and Thieves**_

"Pika-chan! Wake up!" an exuberant voice rang around the room just as the sun was starting to grace the plains with its glory.

A grumble was the only thing that a certain blonde boy could give out as a reply.

"Aww… C'mon! Wakey!" the same voice bugged again.

Kurapika's eyebrows twitched and he started to get up albeit lazily. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes before yawning his good morning to his cousin.

"Kazu-chan! Pika-chan! Breakfast is ready!" a perky female voice called out from outside.

"Coming Mom!" Kazuki called back as he waited for his roommate to fully tread the conscious world.

"Kuro-san's spoiling you?" Kazuki suddenly asked as he threw an old shirt and jeans from his closet for Kurapika to wear later.

"Hrrm?" Kurapika barely slurred as he yawned again.

"You're always the early riser, and now you can barely keep your eyes open at this time of the day!" Kazuki replied as he started hunting for socks and undergarments that may fit the Kuruta.

Kurapika stopped in his actions and narrowed his eyes at the redhead.

"Oooh! No glaring Pika-chan!" Kazuki said, clucking, while holding a single finger in front of his face and wagging it as he held his hip with his other hand. The image simply reminded Kurapika of his aunt. "It's not nice," he added.

Kurapika snorted before standing up and gathering the redhead's things and heading towards the bathroom just outside the room. "I'll take a bath," he simply said.

Kazuki grinned broadly at his cousin's retreating back.

'_We're happy that you're not that angry anymore, Kurapika_.'

-x-

"Good morning!" Aira chimed as she danced her way from the dining room to the kitchen to get cups and plates.

Gufro, who was then coming from the front door after he retrieved the carefully rolled morning paper, quickly stole the moment to peck at his wife's cheek before settling down on his place at the table. Kuroro and Nobunaga, on the other hand, are both seated quietly, enjoying coffee. Kazuki immediately leapt from the stairs and rushed to the kitchen to aid his mother in serving breakfast. Kurapika would have rushed in too but his ever-perceptive cousin called back a loud, "No need for extra help Pika-chan, take a seat and enjoy a cup of coffee!"

As if cued, Gufro laid his paper down and was pouring him a cup of enticing and steaming coffee in a flick of the wrist. Kuroro took note of the lightning fast movement while Nobunaga merely widened his eyes but innocently sipped his coffee nonetheless. Kurapika gave the older man a grin as the latter added things to his cup.

Kurapika then thankfully held on his cup and was about to sip when Kuroro stole the cup from him. He almost growled with frustration when the man added another serving of milk and a teaspoon of sugar.

"That'll be too sweet!" Kurapika almost whined as Kuroro gently pushed the cup back to him.

"You always order coffee like this," Kuroro simply replied. "I figured out that you like it that way." The raven-haired man then managed to end his statement with a toothy grin and hid it behind his own cup of coffee, which is rather a periwinkle blue painted cup with bright images of bees and ridiculously flashy pink, purple and neon green colored butterflies.

Kurapika's face almost twitched at the sight of the ever perfect, composed, classy, and brutal, even, leader of the Genei Ryodan, sipping his coffee from something that seems to have been bought from a cabbage-smelling, doting grandmother's garage sale.

He switched his gaze from the handsome man to the samurai who was not any better. Nobunaga is currently drinking his coffee from a bright fuchsia cup with blue and lavender hearts and yellow smileys of all sizes. There could be no mistake about it. Kuroro and Nobunaga's cups came from the same batch.

He immediately became conscious afterwards and stared at his cup as if it will start curling to a ball and throw spikes. He had almost wrinkled his nose as he noticed that his cup is not a bit better off and still not very much far from the same league – lilac with quotations about love and such in girly yellow, orange and vermillion fonts and a ton of "I Love You" in different languages, standing out from the rest of the messages because of the bold face and sans serif font type.

He swallowed down a sigh of nostalgia along with his coffee as he came to a realization that since it is his dear aunt Aira running the house and buying everything, these things are ought to be expected. And with her forever loyal and complying husband, along with her equally frivolous son, things ought to happen. Weird yet wonderful and somewhat heartwarming things are ought to happen in this household.

"Pika-chan, I made your favorite cinnamon rolls!" Aira happily chirped as she made her way from the kitchen, carrying a woven basket lined with paper napkins and filled to the brim with golden brown bread glazed with some sticky dark red-brown powder on top.

"Thanks Aunt," Kurapika mumbled gratefully as the lady carefully laid down the basket at the table.

"You've been out there for years! You must have missed my cooking," the woman said as her son then came out of the kitchen to lay out two loaves of bread. Kazuki then disappeared again before coming out with huge platter of ham slices, bacon strips, fried eggs, butter and cheese.

"I do," Kurapika replied as Aira then started piling food at everyone's plate. He, along with Kuroro and Nobunaga, nodded with gratitude before they started eating.

Breakfast was uneventful and most of the morning was spent in exchanging contact details and stories of Pika-chan's stay in the household years ago. However, hours even before lunch, Kurapika gave a single look at Kuroro's eyes and with a nod, the man understood. It had been three days since they landed on the household's doorstep, and it was fairly assured that Gufro will be fine and his family shall remain safe.

"Gufro," Kuroro started as he lifted his gaze from the chess piece that he had just moved.

The other man blinked, adjusted his glasses and smiled weakly in understanding. If he had been anything without Nen, he would have been a highly perceptive person. With Nen, all of his senses and a few more extras were justly amplified. "Do you wish to have lunch here?"

A tight-jawed look from the Kuruta was the reply and Kuroro only voiced it, "I believe that we have already had our vacation. You are excellent hosts."

Gufro only sighed in resignation but smiled weakly and said, "Very well…" The blond man then stood up and the three guests followed suit.

Soon, all six people are on the front yard bidding goodbyes. Nobunaga and Kazuki are being relatively civil with each other while Aira could barely make intelligible words from all of the crying and wailing on her husband and her son's comforting arms.

"It was a nice experience to meet you… both of you," Gufro finally managed.

"Same goes for us," Kuroro politely replied.

"Kurapika," Kazuki then uttered, his voice devoid of its usual flightiness and exuberance and his emerald eyes are shimmering with seriousness.

Kurapika almost gulped at the tone that he never witnessed his cousin to use. Kazuki never called him Kurapika. When he was still little, the man would often be heard loudly complaining about the ambiguity of the name and its utter lack of cuteness for his beloved little cousin.

Overall, Kazuki is a very highly energetic, giddy, overprotective to the point of paranoia, forever smiling and laughing, easily pleased, and often childish person. He never really showed seriousness even when he came back all muddy, bloody and wounded once, a long time ago. Kurapika vaguely remembered him pouting childishly as he tugged his red hair and complained on how the dried mud and blood stiffened it to a hideous mess and on how some stupid guy nearly took his arm off. But Kazuki then was not concerned of his arm. Kurapika clearly remembered the phrase, "…could've torn my favorite jacket's sleeve off…" as the redhead scratched his head while Aira and Gufro tended his injuries, among all else. Kazuki is never the one to go serious in a snap. And now that he did, it is highly disconcerting.

"Be safe," the redhead said as he gently gathered the blonde in the warmth of his arms and gave him a tight hug. "Call me for anything, OK? I'll be there in a sec."

Kurapika only nodded as he savored in the warmth of his almost-brother and smiled weakly as the other released him.

"OHHHHH! PIKA-CHAAAAAAN!" Aira only wailed as she freed herself from her husband and pounced on the blond boy, nearly choking him in an embrace.

Kurapika, who had been expecting that but nevertheless still taken aback by the woman's inhuman strength, being a Reinforcement Nen user, and tendency to cling tight at any living creature worth smothering, conceded from struggling and only smiled against the woman that stood a close second in his heart as "Mother". He almost regretted his decision to allow her to hug him so freely and tightly though a few moments later. But fortunately, his uncle managed to pull the howling woman as he replaced her in a gentler hug.

"Thanks, Uncle."

"No problem. Your aunt was almost killing you anyway," the man replied as he patted the golden crown of his nephew.

"No, not just that," the younger blonde said with a small smile and a whisper, "Thanks for everything."

Gufro gently released the boy from his arms and cupped his face to look at the bright aquamarine orbs that were all too similar to his brother's especially when they were still little. "Sure. You're welcome," he said, finding himself at a loss for words and at a losing fight against his tears. Finally, after another moment, he let go and his nephew then stepped back to his companions, ready to leave again; ready to leave them again.

He only lifted up his glasses and wiped the single drop of tear that escaped from each of his eyes as he grinned at them. After putting his spectacles back in place, he held out his hand for a final handshake with the samurai and then with the other man. He gave Nobunaga a grateful nod before saying, "Thanks again for taking care of him when he's out there."

Nobunaga blushed awkwardly with embarrassment and only scratched his head as he gawkily took the handshake.

And finally to Kuroro, with a knowing smile and with the familiar glinting of glasses, he conveyed his message with a light squeeze on the onyx-eyed man. '_Take care of him._'

Kuroro flashed one of those most charming smiles of his and squeezed back, the pressure sure and sincere. '_I will._'

-x-

It was not long when a certain dark-haired and deep blue-eyed man found himself in shackles after some time of losing consciousness. Well, the last thing he remembered was a searing pain shot on his right chest and swore that could have bore a hole there and darkness finally swirled endlessly to engulf him. Last time he checked, he was so ready to die but now, and he was then so sure that he was already so even before his vision finally died out. But right now, despite the hell of the pain on his chest and the certainty of some broken bones here and there, he is most certainly and definitely alive.

'_Darn!_' he cursed inwardly as he opened his eyes and took in where he is.

"Awake?" a melodious, yet seemingly venomous voice asked him and all he could do at that moment was to roll about and search for the source of the voice. It would have been a lot easier and he would have been successful at locating it had his limbs not been chained to the ground.

"Where are you? Who are you?" he shouted back, thirsty for answers and hungry for revenge.

"Hush now, hush now," the voice said soothingly. "I just want a few things cleared and you'll be off to go."

"What do you want?"

"Information. Just information. So you need not be agitated about anything."

"About what?" he asked angrily. He does not like the way this is turning out.

"Organic rubies."

-x-

It was almost midnight and the rest of the aircraft had been happily treading their respective dreamlands already when half of the ship was awakened by a terrible scream.

"Shit!" Nobunaga swore loudly as he instantly jumped out of bed and made sure he looks decent before he made a mad dash towards the direction of his companions. He fumbled slightly on the locked door until he decided to kick it off its hinges.

Unfortunately, it was the wrong room.

"Uh… sorry?" he managed to let out before he dashed away again, leaving the wide-eyed, and now wide-awake, and highly terrified occupants of the said room.

After another minute or so, just when he was about to grumble upon his Danchou's insistent use of Zetsu, he finally found the correct room and he was about to kick it too when it was opened by no other than his,

"Danchou!" Nobunaga exclaimed alarmingly. "What the hell happened? Is he OK? I heard his voice from MY room! And it's kinda on the other side of this ship!"

"Ah, Nobu, you do not have to be worried, I believe that Kurapika's alright now," the raven-eyed leader of the Spiders said, effectively calming down the other Spider.

"Did he just…?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so," Kuroro confirmed, offering his subject a seat. "Kurapika, do you want anything?"

For a few moments, the blonde occupant of the room, who was now sitting on his bed with his arms wrapped protectively on his shins and his head buried on his knees, remained quiet. Finally, just as Kuroro was deciding to repeat the offer, the blonde squeaked out, "…drink."

The samurai nodded to his superior before heading out the room to get some drinks and maybe some food.

"You got us both worried there. Is anything the matter?" Kuroro asked, taking a chair beside the blonde's bed and sitting on it. "Is it one of your nightmares again?"

Kurapika only muffled a sound as a reply.

The man took it as a yes and feeling rather awkward, yet believing that touches are more comforting than words, Kuroro decided to pat the youngster' back for assurance that everything is going to be fine. He was about to reach out when the boy barked, "Don't touch me!"

The man immediately complied and heaved a sigh instead. "Kurapika, you know that if anything's bothering you, you can freely tell me. I thought we were over these trust issues already," the man said.

It was only then that the boy turned his head off his knees and glared angrily at the man beside him. His blood-red eyes shone brightly against the darkness as Kuroro did not turn on any of the lights just in case the boy wanted to return to sleep.

"Trust? Trust you? Are you kidding me, Kuroro Lucifer?" the boy spat angrily.

Kuroro only sighed again as he really reached out and gently stroke the boy's back.

"I said, don't touch me!" Kurapika said even louder as he struggled off the man's touch. However, Kuroro seemed to have gotten tired of his reluctance and firmly held him in place. One arm shot over his stomach and caught his waist while a hand made its way to soothe his back. He was about to land an elbow on the offender's face when he was grabbed closer to the man's seat. The hand on his back vanished and another arm wrapped itself over him; just over his diaphragm, to encase him fully in a warm embrace.

He was about to struggle when a head was propped over his shoulder and he realized that he was now sitting awkwardly on someone's lap, his back pressed tightly to a strong and warm chest. And in it, he can clearly feel a serene rhythm of someone's heart. He gasped but soon he found himself unable to create anymore sounds.

A few more moments of silence and it was as if all of his nerves focused on that certain region just at the back of his ear where an even breathing kept on destroying every coherent thought forming in his mind; wordless assurances that calmed his spirit. Every soothing feather-light touch of gentle fingers on his arms as a stronger and firmer arm kept him in place shredded the seemingly immortal hatred that surged in his chest. And as the body behind him felt warmer he felt his own walls crumbling beneath the words of his own soul.

The moments were highly terrifying and yet he cannot will his body to initiate a struggle. He had just lost this little battle because his soul opted to side with the opponent. He is certain about that and it is highly unnerving that he did not feel the loss that accompanied the triumph of his clan's murderer.

However, a victory is not a true victory without its declaration. And he will go on this losing battle with that last trump card – he will not declare his loss… not even to himself. Not yet. This is but a moment's refuge to the suddenness of his new nightmare.

"It is really not alright for me to just sit here and worry about the unknown. Why don't you relate to me what you have seen in your dreams? I will be very much glad to aid you through anything right now," Kuroro whispered gently at his ear as he killed the few minutes of silence that no matter how awkward, he rather wished not to end.

"Why are you doing these to me?" the boy replied, his voice was so confused and scared that it was barely audible, broken, even. It was the best he can do and he could have been proud of such feat as his mind remained muddled with the contact.

Kuroro smiled as he secretly took in the scent of the one in his arms and softly tightening the embrace. And as the Master Thief that he is, he would take whatever he can whenever he can. Right at that moment, he knew that the best moment to strike is when the enemy is confused. Well, his little Kuruta can never be as confused as he is right now, can he?

Yes, and as the Taker that he was he took the chance.

"I still believe that you are a really smart person Kurapika, despite you asking that," he whispered as he pressed his lips just beside the blonde's hairline, behind his ear, in a chaste kiss.

He felt his captive's hairs stood on end at that region and he wasted no time to cover more area. In this little war he had been determined to take as much ground as he can before the open floodgates of the boy's soul halted its pouring upon him. He had only enough time to reach the younger one's jaw when the Kuruta realized the attack.

"Wha—"

The door clicked and Nobunaga entered, tray of crackers, bread, cheese and drinks in tow. He caught a glimpse of his Danchou and their resident Kuruta's current position and his jaw dropped.

However, Kurapika had realized his presence and had already jumped off Kuroro's grasp, all the while, getting his face redder every passing moment.

It really is a good thing that Kuroro never turned on the lights.

"Did I just interrupt something?"

Kuroro chuckled at his companions' antics before standing up and facing the samurai, "No, Nobu. Now, why don't you join us here as Kurapika gives his explanation?" It had been rather shorter than what he might have wished but thieves make their living by investing on patience and by the advance of his pace tonight, he knew will not run out of the precious thread any time soon.

Kurapika finally willed the blush away as he dragged himself back to the position he was in before he was… how should he put it? Ah, yes, "manhandled".

"It's Leorio…" the youth finally managed. The nightmare had tried to convey something and it is much more important. He can deal with Kuroro later. No. In actuality, he cannot deal with Kuroro now… not when the moment is still fresh. He will deal with his assailant as soon as his defenses were rebuilt. And so he pushed the event at the back of his mind and focused on the vision of his friend.

One of Kuroro's elegant eyebrows twitched once at the statement. Nobunaga, who had been trying to comprehend whatever he might have disturbed earlier, caught the small movement as he was still shifting his glance at the two individuals. He only managed to shape his lips into an "O" as he realized what their leader might have felt at the sound of the name. The thought about the thing that he had disturbed had been thrown off the window at once.

"He's calling out to me… No. He's telling me to run, I guess," Kurapika said, his red eyes fading back into seemingly equally luminous blue ones. "I think he's in trouble… because of me."

"How can you be sure about that?"

"I-it felt… It's so real!" Kurapika spat again. And by then, Kuroro did not need a light to judge the loss of color.

"A connection?" Nobunaga blinkingly interjected.

"He's my friend… my best friend," Kurapika said, or rather squeaked, as his small voice was now muffled by his knees since he started to bury his face on them again. "And I know something's wrong." It is always an incredibly heavy feeling whenever he lets his guard down, especially to those people he hated with all his heart some time ago. But being 'stuck' with them, because he believes that escaping them right now is an impossible feat, he had no one else to turn to. He could not care less what Lucifer may think.

"I see," Kuroro only replied as he drowned the bitter feeling in him with rational thoughts. He had won the battle earlier, but it is still a long war after all. He should have expected this.

There was a whole stretch of awkward silence before Nobunaga remembered his task and offered both of them a drink and/or a bite. Both accepted and he was doing his best to tame down the tension that had suddenly built up around them. He finally realized that he was cursing Shalnark for leaving them; these things are the man's forte and he would have done a better job in cooling things down than a hot-tempered samurai.

He was frantically and desperately hoping for someone or something, anything to break the building wall of suffocating, flaming ice when (thankfully) Kurapika's phone rang.

The blonde frantically sprinted towards it and almost shakily pressed a button. He was about to say "Hello" when a familiar and usually exuberant voice boomed with all seriousness and relief from the other line.

"Kurapika!"

"Gon! Are you OK? Why, what's wrong?" Kurapika replied, hoping against hope that it is not what he thinks it is.

"I'm fine. It's Leorio… He's… he's been missing."

Kurapika's eyes widened and turned scarlet at that very moment. He gripped the phone hard, with just enough force to keep himself from totally crushing it into smithereens. "What happened?" he asked, painfully managing to keep in all the emotions that were struggling to get out.

"We don't know yet. He's with us in a job then 'poof!' He's gone," the voice from the other line changed. Kurapika immediately realized that Killua must have stolen the phone from Gon's grasp. "It's been a few days now anyway, so we're kinda worried. And we called you 'coz we thought he followed you wherever in the world you are right now. Man, I tell you, that geezer can track like a hound when he wants to."

Kurapika mulled over the information in his mind and after a few moments of scrunching his eyes shut, checking his choices and lowering his ego, he turned around and stared at Kuroro. Also, he pushed the "loudspeaker" button on his phone just to make sure that Kuroro and Nobunaga hear the rest of the conversation.

"Where are you?" he asked Killua.

"Right now? We're in Dorucca but we're heading back to Arcarus," the voice replied. "We'll be there by tomorrow noon."

Kurapika made a pleading look with his eyes, now devoid again of their scarlet color. He hated this, but simply remembering the way Leorio's voice screamed a warning to him, he knew he just have to.

He might just kill the doctor later for making him do this.

Kuroro suppressed a smirk then nodded.

"I'll be there," Kurapika said as he ended up the conversation and muttered an almost inaudible "Thanks" to the Genei Ryodan's leader.

-x-

Though split, swollen, cracked and seemingly tired of bleeding, he still managed a leer on his lips.

"Hmm… You're rather a strong one," a melodious voice said, half impressed, half disappointed. "It's a pity you're wasting your life for someone who ran off with another man."

That moment, the leer just started to become quite painful.

He must have failed to suppress the pain and it showed on his face as his captor taunted, "Aww… That must have strung a cord. Does it hurt, doctor?"

He started rebuilding his leer and snorted for emphasis which earned him a painful kick on his right rib. He does not really mind; his ribs must have at least twelve cracks on them now anyway. And the overwhelming pain of the earlier torture must have numbed quite a few nerves.

"Why don't you admit the truth, doctor? The pretty Kuruta does not give a damn on what is happening to you as long as he's in the arms of that man," the voice said in a sing-song manner. "Oh, what a tragedy! You are here at my mercy, dying for him and him? Well, it is rather late now, isn't it? I wonder what he and his handsome companion are doing right now… Oh! Let me guess… they're—"

"You don't really know when to shut up, do you?" he spat angrily. "I don't really care whatever the hell they're doing right now. It's their business, not mine. And why don't you just kill me already? You'll never pull anything out from me anyway."

"Uh-uh," the voice said again. "Maybe you're not really that helpful as an informant but as a bargaining chip? I think we're talking business now, aren't we?"

"Heh, you don't know who you're dealing with, bitch," he managed to spill out along with a few coughs and another knowing leer before an overwhelming hit struck his right temple. Before succumbing to the cold and loving embrace of darkness, he wished that a certain blonde keeps himself out of this.

-x-

"Nobu, I'm dropping you here," Kuroro explained calmly. "I couldn't risk you getting in trouble with the two kids."

"Uh, yeah… But Danchou, it's not like I'll kill them or anything…"

"Even so, I, myself, am not actually supposed to be here. The two might get weird ideas with me hanging around their Kuruta, after the word I just gave them and seeing you lurking around will get them agitated," he continued. "That is the last thing we want right now when Kurapika's doctor friend is in trouble."

"Uh, word?"

"I promised them that I will allow Kurapika to have some time with them every once in a while."

"Oh…"

"And I think this is the time they just have to use that little privilege so I cannot really say anything, can I?"

"Erm… Yeah, I suppose."

"But I have a nasty feeling about this. That is why I'm staying behind. You, on the other hand, cannot. Too many cooks spoil the broth, so they say."

The samurai sighed, "Yeah… Well, uh… Danchou, Please tell the kid to be careful."

"You know his number, why don't you give him a little call?" Kuroro chided, hiding his smirk behind an innocent smile.

"Ack— No way! I'll never hear the end of it if— Yeah, yeah… A'right then," Nobunaga said as he got over the slight reddening of his face. "I'll call him once I'm somewhere else. See ya."

The man merely smiled a reply as the two of them parted, the samurai heading onwards out of the dark street corner and towards the brighter lights of the city.

'_Now, where can you be, Kurapika?_' the Spiders' Head thought as he pulled out a glimmering verdant gem from his suit's pocket. He cradled it with a single palm and soon, the swirling liquid gold inside united as one and gleamed even brighter to point south. Three full seconds and the light dulled down and the golden arrow dissolved into three swirling golden streaks again. Another smile formed on Kuroro's lips as he pocketed the emerald again.

"…quite a useful gem…" he muttered before heading towards the throng of people that gathered on a nearby bus stop. "South then…"

-x-

"Kurapika!" Gon squealed loudly as he hopped down from the few remaining steps on the cobbled street that they are walking on in order to… tackle his blonde friend.

"Gon," the Kuruta called back smiling as the spiky-haired boy hesitated in his attack and decided instead to halt abruptly, just a few inches from him. "How are you?"

The boy gave him a wide grin before a boot flew and hit the top of the kid's head.

"Oww!"

A silver-haired teen then suddenly "popped" just beside the spiky-haired boy who was still clutching his head and nursing it. "Yo!" he greeted with a grin and a half-salute.

Kurapika smiled at the mischievous Zoldyck heir.

"Oww! Killua!" the black-haired boy whined. "Why did you hit me?"

Killua promptly picked up his boot and wore it casually as if he's just at home. "You left me alone on the road when I was still talking! Without any warning! You ran off and just forgot that I'm there!"

"But I saw Kurapika approaching so…"

"Whatever!"

"Ah ha ha…"

"Eh?"

"The two of you will never really grow up," the Kuruta playfully commented as he gave the black-haired one a friendly pat on the head. "I'll heal the lump as soon as we're home. Where do you stay, by the way?"

Gon gave him a wide goofy grin before Killua intervened, "Heh, you're spoiling him too much, Kurapika, that's why he's stuck to being like that."

A tongue stuck out then a pout had been the reply of the other boy before he answered the blonde's question. "Not far from here. It's a nice and comfy hotel. And they got privileges for hunters! You can stay in our suite, Kurapika!"

"That would be nice," Kurapika replied as he followed the two boys on their way to the hotel.

'_At least, they never changed._'

-x-

A loud thud echoed through the darkness. Another body, most probably dead or soon to be, hit the concrete floor of the dark room. It was not long when a sigh followed it, as well as a sound of—

"Packaging tape?" a comically dubious female voice asked, and in the darkness, one can still sense her eyebrows twitching with disbelief.

"Yep! Does the job well, I tell you," a cheerful boyish one replied.

"Seriously…"

"Well, Danchou's not here to pack these up, so I have to improvise."

A sigh.

"What?"

"Are you sure it's safe to just mail them like that?"

"Yep."

"OK. Now what?"

"Well, those cute little owls may come in handy."

"I'm out of here…"

"Hey, Machi! I'm serious! Wait up!"

-x-

All three young hunters were dining happily at the comforts of the two's younger ones' suite. Kurapika had told them, or at least gave them an idea on what had transpired among the Spiders in the past few weeks, with the careful omission of a few (rather important) details; uncles, aunts and cousins included. Gon seemed happy that his "friend", Mr. Lucifer, stuck to his promise after all. On the other hand, Killua guffawed loudly when Kurapika told them about a certain samurai's sudden change of hearts.

"What made him change his mind like that?" Killua asked. His face was still rather twitchy at the revelation. Gon, however, found the idea rather offensive and stood to the absent man's defense.

"Hey Killua, that samurai's not so bad," he said, his lips almost in a pout. "Remember when we're caught at York Shin? He's the one who cried a lot while—"

"While stating he hated Kurapika with all his heart and soul and he will be really, really happy, thrilled even, to have Kurapika's insides polishing his blade red," Killua cut him off. "Yes, I think I remember him quite clearly."

"He didn't say it like that. He—"

"It's pretty close."

"But, he said it was for his friend… What's his name again?"

"The friend?"

"No the samurai…"

"Nobunaga."

"Ah… yes. Mr. Nobunaga. I'm happy he's being nice now."

"Still… It's unbelievable," the silver-haired boy commented with a shrug as he lazily slouched on his seat. "How is he treating you anyway?"

"Like… Like Leorio," Kurapika answered, bowing his head down as his smile dissolved.

Leorio is the reason why he is here right now. He just so realized that, maybe, having a good time right now is not the best course of action.

"Hey," Killua called to him. "Leorio's OK. He's tough enough to stay alive until we find him. He'll be fine."

"Yeah!" Gon happily chirped. "It's Leorio we're talking about, right? He can tough this out."

The blonde spared his two younger companions a warm smile before looking out at the window of the suite. Arcarus' sunset truly is a sight to behold. A warm crimson glow painted the sky while the first few stars just woke up from their slumber at the increasingly-turning-indigo end of the horizon. He stared back at his friends again and then at the empty seat beside him.

"Heh, never knew you'll miss him too much already," Killua chided. "Don't worry 'kay? Pops can't die easily. After all the hitting and beating he always got from us, it'll be a miracle to crack his skull."

Kurapika cannot refuse to smile at that, "Yes… yes, perhaps you're right."

"Now, how're you and you're boyfriend faring?" Killua asked, diverting the topic to something more lighthearted.

"Wha—?"

"Gon and I both want a baby brother by the way…"

-x-

Had he been a lesser man, Kuroro Lucifer would have nearly fall off the window that he was currently perched on. Instead, he managed a slight twitching of the top of his left cheek and a couple of blinks to make up for it. Well, he could not help it. It was such a surprise. He knew that the young Zoldyck got mischief written all over him, but to say it like that?

A smirk formed upon his lips as he hopped back inside his suite. His Kuruta really have interesting friends.

-x-

"Uh… Kurapika?"

"Yes?"

"T-t-take…"

"Killua, please stop listening to our conversation and go back to bed. It's late."

"Eh?"

"Oh! No, it's not you… it's one of my friends. What were you saying again?"

"Uh… yeah… Takecarebye!" the voice on the other line said with utter haste.

"Huh?"

"Aww… isn't that sweet?" a young mischievous voice said with a snicker. "That's the samurai, right? Very much like Pops indeed…"

Kurapika sighed. "What is it Killua? Don't tell me you require a bedtime story before you sleep."

The silver-haired teen's face merely made a shadow of a twitch. He considered starting a fierce verbal battle but he just had to remember that the Kuruta does not partake in such games. Unlike a certain older brother figure that he had grown fond of, no matter how much he keeps on reminding the others that he detests the idea.

Instead, he sharply exhaled from his nose and chided, "I wouldn't mind really. No one ever tucked me into bed like that… unless you count Illumi's gruesome detailing of his quests… Erm… They're not really the kind of stories kids get, are they?"

The blonde smiled before heading towards the suite's kitchen as he rummaged about for his tea. "Gon's asleep?" he asked as he kept his focus on preparing his tea. "Tea?"

"Yeah, that kid can really snore through everything," the younger one replied. "And no tea… it's for oldies."

Kurapika looked mildly amused at the boy's statements as he made his way back to the couch that he rearranged just so it faces the floor to ceiling window of the suite. The other boy was beside him in a flash.

"You talk as if Gon is a lot younger than you, when the two of you are merely of the same age, with him actually being older by a month or so."

"It's about maturity, smarty-pants."

"Well, your statement does not make you sound any older, Killua."

"Whatever! This is why I hate arguing with you!"

"Come to think of it, we never really did."

Killua fell silent on that, his mouth still open as if he was about to say something. He closed it immediately as it turned into a smile free of mischief or malicious intent. "Yeah, you're always too busy to argue with me, or to spend any time with us, in general."

Kurapika took a sip from his cup before fixing his stare at the bright moon before them. "Leorio seems to be doing my share of arguing with you perfectly, anyway."

"Mhmm…" Killua remarked as he sank deeper into the couch, closing his eyes. "We would've been together, the four of us, for the coming days if only he's around. Just like the old times."

"Just like the old times…"

"I wonder if we'll ever be able to spend time like that again," the Zoldyck boy said, opening his eyes and staring at the night's guardian too. "Or at least like this. Just starin' out at the moon without any care… I wouldn't mind sharing my seat with Pops when we're like this. As long as he keeps his hands off my snacks, that is."

"Kuroro did promise you my occasional freedom, didn't he? I'm sure someday we can do that, or this, again."

Killua turned towards his companion nodded and grinned as the other smiled at him too. "Ugh! Gon's rubbing off on me! I'm getting cheesy!" he said as he sank further.

Kurapika chuckled as took another sip. "It's actually the other way around that I'm worried about."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

The Kuruta laughed at the other's temperament before sipping his tea again. "Killua," he started.

"What?" the younger one irately spat. "What part of my personality are you going to insult this time?"

"Ah ha ha, nothing really," the blonde said, still amused at his friend's antics. "When you're out doing stuff again, please take care of your old man for me. He may be the oldest but he's a lot more reckless than Gon and more forgetful than you."

Killua blinked twice before smirking. "Yeah sure… Of course," he replied.

He paused before making his signature smirk and added, "I always wonder why the two of you never ended together…"

Kurapika barely managed not to choke to death on his tea.

"…I mean, I call him Pops, sometimes Gon does too when it's just the two of us… you act like our Mom…"

The blonde was still coughing.

"…and Gon and I really act like your children…"

The Kuruta was finally able to breathe normally now.

"…you care about him, he loves you… We're a perfect family! …I think."

"K-killua…"

"Yeah, yeah I know, Leorio is just like a brother to you… blah blah," Killua said with a tired sigh. "Like I said, he pines about you practically every second and sometimes it's getting on my nerves. Gon seems amused though and never gets tired comforting him."

Kurapika sighed.

"We even thought of signing him up in blind dates! It's really frustrating sometimes and… well… he's having a hard time getting over you, to be exact."

The Kuruta was about to sigh again but Killua beat him into it with, "Can you stop sighing? You sigh exactly like him."

If that was an insult, the blonde let it pass.

"Gon and I are really happy that at least Lucifer does not want you dead, that you can be sure of. And we're quite sure that Leorio will move on from his misery after some time. We're not really worried about that…" he paused before fixing his gaze at the Kuruta, with full non-scary seriousness in his eyes. "We're worried about how you feel in the midst of all of these."

"I… I'm…"

"One more thing, unlike Leorio, I'm not very fond of letting people who lie outwardly to me, pass."

The Kuruta focused all of his attention at his now half-empty cup and Killua sat patiently for his reply.

"Honestly, I'm confused," Kurapika said, slumping in his seat. "How does fraternizing with the enemy sounds to you?"

"Seems fine, honestly… I did the same when I ran off from our mansion, remember?"

"Home…"

"Nah, that's not home. It's a huge house on top of a huge mountain with a ton of guards and a huge dog as a pet," Killua replied nonchalantly.

"But your family's…"

"My relatives are there. My family's here…" he said, smiling. "…and my supposed-to-be-Dad's been kidnapped," he added.

Kurapika smiled warmly at his friend and said, "Maybe you're right… Maybe, you really have grown up, Killua."

"Heh, you're welcome, Kurapika."

-x-

**AUTHOR's NOTES:** Ugh! It's finally uploaded! Anyway, for those who wanted to know what may or may not happen at the end of this story, you may read **Second Chase**. It's actually Post-BALANCE but you may read it whether or not you have read the entire story. I've already posted two chapters of it and I'm using it along with **Stronger Shades of Gray** (which is not posted yet) to rid me off my writer's block. And NO, this chapter isn't beta-read because I wanted to get over it as soon as the idea hit me. Also, please check **My Profile** for important updates and announcements.

**Chapter 21: Crimson Trails** will be uploaded as soon as I decided whether or not I want to kill a major character.

Also! I almost forgot! Thanks to **hustsu** who reminded me that Killua is younger... I was forced to re-read that hunter exam part for that lol. Thank you! I'll probably change stuff to meet that... soon... :D

Again, please read **Second Chase**, the game is still on.

Thank you for reading!

Until next time! :D


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